Maharashtra CM race hots up after fragmented election

With both exit polls and the partyrsquos internal assessment predicting that the BJP is going to be the single largest party in the state with nearly 130 seats just 15 short of the majority mark the question doing the rounds in political circles was who the CM from the party could beBJP leaders Eknath Khadse Devendra Fadnavis and Pankaja MundeThe names that dominated discussions yesterday have been spoken about for quite some time and with Union minister Nitin Gadkari indicating that he was happy at the Centre and would not like to make a return to state politics the race for the coveted chief ministerrsquos chair narrowed down to four key personalities Here are the options before the partyDevendra Fadnavis Majority manHighly placed sources in the party have told midday that Devendra Fadnavis the state unit president is leading the pack and is most likely to become the chief minister if the BJP attains a majority on its own or with the help of its four prepoll allies Ramdas Athawalersquos RPIA Mahadeo Jankarrsquos Rashtriya Samaj Paksha Raju Shettyrsquos Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana and Vinayak Metersquos Shiv SangramDevendra Fadnavis Leader of the pack most likely to become CM if BJP gets a majority on its own or with the help of prepoll alliesFadnavis has been touted as the CM candidate for a while and a slogan Dilli mein Narendra Maharashtra mein Devendra was also coined for the purpose His name gained even more currency when PM Narendra Modi lavished fulsome praise on Fadnavis devoting nearly five minutes to him while addressing a rally at Nagpur recently What is also going in his favour is his clean image good academic background and a lsquobest parliamentarianrsquo award that he has won ldquoFadnavis is way ahead of the othersrdquo said a senior party leaderThe BJP however feels that he will be able to perform only if the party gets a majority on its own or with prepoll allies ldquoIf the party has to approach the Sena or other parties Fadnavis will not be the BJPrsquos choice He has come under attack from them since he is the partyrsquos Brahmin facerdquo said the leaderSudhir Mungantiwar NCP choiceThe former Maharashtra unit chief of the party could be chosen to lead a coalition if the BJP finds itself 2530 seats short of a majority and decides to approach the NCP for support Leaders in the BJP and the NCP told midday that despite Sharad Pawar being opposed to it the two parties could well end up coming together as postpoll allies because the move has seen support from a section of the NCP led by former deputy CM Ajit PawarSudhir Mungantiwar As a popular OBC face who has a good rapport with other parties he may get the top post if the BJP allies with NCPWhile Mungantiwar enjoys a good rapport with the NCP being the OBC face of the BJP will also make it easier for him to add new partners and Independent MLAs especially those who are contesting as Independents after rebelling from the Congress and NCP ldquoIt would be easy for him to lead such a coalition as he is a senior legislator and has friends in other partiesrdquo said a BJP insiderPankaja Munde Sena charioteerAs the nowundisputed inheritor of the Gopinath Munde legacy Pankaja Munde has managed to further strengthen it with the Sangharsh Yatra she embarked on before the state assembly polls While her supporters in Marathwada have no doubt that she will become the CM if the BJP comes to power senior leaders in the party have taken a more nuanced view of her chancesPankaja Munde Inheritor of the Gopinath Munde legacy Shiv Sena may insist on her as CM if the BJP has to seek support from its former allyWith the Shiv Sena not putting up candidates against Pankaja from the Parli assembly seat or against her sister Dr Preetam Khade who is contesting the Beed Lok Sabha byelection as a mark of respect for Gopinath Munde party leaders say the Sena may make her chief ministership a prerequisite if the BJP has to take its former allyrsquos support ldquoPankaja seems to command goodwill in the Sena because of her late father and Uddhav Thackeray may insist that she be in the driverrsquos seat of a BJPSena coalition in the event of the party having to approach the Sena for supportrdquo said a BJP leaderEknath Khadse Dark horseAs the seniormost contender for the post Eknath Khadse could well be the onesizefitsall chief minister Unlike the other people in the race he has vast experience as a legislator a former minister and leader of opposition and the leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly say his supportersEknath Khadse As the seniormost leader in the race he could be the onesizefitsall CM His chances are low however making him the dark horseAnd with Khadse singlehandedly increasing the party base in Jalgaon and north Maharashtra a region which has never had one of its own as the chief minister even party leaders agree that he could be the dark horse His lsquoseniorityrsquo could however also work against Khadse with his health having been a topic of discussion in party circles for some time nowSupriya Sule The outsidersIn the days leading up to the polls NCP chief Sharad Pawar has spoken about a nonBJP front and political observers say the shrewd politician may have deliberately left out Senarsquos nameIn the event that the BJP is not able to stitch together a coalition the state could end up getting an NCPSena government given that the senior Pawar has always maintained a good rapport with the party Uddhav Thackeray may also like to leave his stamp over the Senarsquos first assembly elections under his leadership by springing a surprise in the form of the allianceEven the MNS is said to have clearly told its cadres to divert its vote bank to the Shiv Sena wherever it finds that the party candidate was not going to figure in the final race indicating that Raj Thackeray could also be a part of or support such a government Should such a coalition become a reality the Shiv Sena may insist on Pawarrsquos daughter Supriya Sule as the CM candidate instead of Ajit Pawar who has never made any bones of his ambitions for the post