Maharashtra polls | Race for CM's post hots up as both MVA, Mahayuti keep people guessing

With merely three days left before the polling, almost all the political parties in Maharashtra are busy slugging it out in the heat and dust of election campaign. However, one can expect a flurry of political activities even after the results are out on November 23, as none of the two rival alliances have picked their CM face.

It won’t be an easy decision either for the ruling Mahayuti alliance, comprising BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde) and Ajit Pawar-led NCP, or for the Opposition MVA alliance that has Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Sharad Pawar-led NCP as its constituents. Political analysts feel that they won’t be surprised if it leads to a political reconfiguration after the election results. With the countdown already on, political parties are busy positioning their chief ministerial candidates.

Mahayuti muddle

In the ruling Mahayuti alliance, Shinde Sena supporters are keen on seeing their leader Eknath Shinde retain the chief ministership, even as the BJP intends to assume the role of “big brother” in the Mahayuti to ensure Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ return to the state’s top post in case the alliance is voted to power.

Also read: No set formula in Mahayuti to select next Maharashtra CM: Fadnavis

Though his party hasn’t been doing well, their third alliance partner Ajit Pawar has made no bones about the fact that he aspires to become the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Pawar, who orchestrated a split within the NCP last year and joined the Mahayuti government, has served as the deputy chief minister of the state for a record five times. “I want to become the chief minister, but I am not being able to move forward. I am not getting the chance,” Ajit Pawar said at an event in September.

Even as the BJP is dropping hints, the Shinde Sena has seemingly made it clear that Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will continue in the top post if the Mahayuti returns to power.

Among the Mahayuti partners, the BJP is contesting 149 seats followed by Shinde Sena with 81 and Ajit Pawar’s NCP with 56.

Shah backing Fadnavis

Political circles are abuzz this time that the BJP's chief strategist, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is drumming up support for Fadnavis. At a public rally in Sangli last week, he said, “Maharashtra has a lot of faith in Modiji and Fadnavisji.” There was no mention of Eknath Shinde.

Shah again touched the issue while releasing the BJP’s manifesto in Mumbai when he said, “At present, Eknath Shinde is the CM but after the polls, all three constituents of the Mahayuti will sit together and decide the next CM.”

Though Fadnavis may be the frontrunner for the top post, the BJP will have to emerge as the largest party within the Mahayuti to assert its choice on its allies, according to party insiders. Anything less would see Ajit Pawar and Shinde flex their muscles, they added.

Meanwhile, BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawade added a new twist to the prevailing uncertainty when he recently said that the BJP’s CM candidate for Maharashtra could be a new face. “The experiment conducted in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh might also be applied here in the state. Nevertheless, in many places, the same candidates have been given another chance.” Insiders suggest potential surprise candidates, including former minister Pankaja Munde, state BJP chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule, and Tawade himself, could emerge post-election.

Daunting task for MVA

It would be no less challenging a task for the MVA to choose its CM candidate, if the alliance is voted to power. While Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has repeatedly demanded that the CM face of the alliance be declared well in advance, the other two MVA allies – Congress and NCP (SP) are not too keen on the idea.

Also read: Long-standing practice gives largest alliance party right to name CM: Prithviraj Chavan

NCP (SP) supremo Sharad Pawar has already expressed his reservation over declaring the CM face of the alliance, saying, “There is no need to deliberate on the issue at this moment. Several times in the past, a decision on the leadership has been taken based on the number of MLAs of the coalition partners.”

Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has also stated that it is a “time-honoured" practice” that the party that emerges as the largest within an alliance gets to name the CM.

“It is a time-honoured practice that the largest party (post-polls) gets to name the CM. I don't see why it should be different this time. But this time if the three parties together want to change the formula they are free to do that. Leaders can do anything they want,” he said.

Thackeray pivotal figure

Thackeray initially lobbied hard with the Congress high command that he be declared as the MVA’s CM face, but his efforts didn’t bear fruit. Subsequently, he changed his stance and asked the Congress and the NCP (SP) to declare their CM candidates, assuring his support to them.

However, Thackeray still remains a pivotal figure in the MVA, an alliance he formed with the other two partners after parting ways with the BJP in 2019. Thackeray held the chief minister’s position for approximately two and a half years before his government fell following a rebellion by Eknath Shinde in the Sena in 2022.

Also read: Maharashtra | Why both MVA and Mahayuti are contesting polls without projecting CM face

Meanwhile, there is also a buzz around the names of Baramati MP Supriya Sule and state chief Jayant Patil for the top post from the Sharad Pawar faction of the NCP. The names of former CM Prithviraj Chavan and state unit chief Nana Patole are doing the rounds from the Congress.

Amid all the speculations, in all probability the decision in the MVA will be driven by the fact that which of the three parties bag the maximum number of seats. Among the MVA partners, the Congress has fielded 101 candidates, Shiv Sena (UBT) led by Uddhav Thackeray has 95 candidates in the fray and NCP (SP) has 86 candidates.