With around 24 hours before the Maharashtra elections are out, both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) are going all out to zero in on their chief ministerial face if their alliance wins.
Voting for the 288 assembly seats in Maharashtra took place on Wednesday with a voter turnout of more than 66 per cent, up from 61 per cent in 2019. As the fate of the Mahayuti and the MVA is sealed inside the EVMs, here is a look at the top players:
MAHAYUTI
Eknath Shinde
Known for his grassroots approach to administration, Shinde is not only seen as hardworking but is also a prominent Maratha face. He is also one of the brains behind the ruling alliance's flagship Mukhyamantri Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme, a move to woo female voters after the Lok Sabha debacle.
Despite Shinde's image as a hardworking leader, there are some things that can prove to be an impediment in the Maratha leader's CM ambitions. Some of his weaknesses include dependence on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), allegations of opportunism and charges of corruption against party leaders.
His ambitions can also be thwarted in case the public sympathises with Uddhav Thackeray due to Shinde's 2022 rebellion.
Another scenario where Shinde's chances can be impacted negatively if he performs poorly and the BJP pushes its own CM face because of it.
He can also face the risk of being left on his own devices in case of poor performance. In case Shinde does well, he could become Maharashtra's Nitish Kumar as BJP is unlikely to continue to stay in power without his support. He may also solidify the gains of the Shiv Sena.
Devendra Fadnavis
Fadnavis is also a top contendor due to his administrative experience of running the state government for a full term from 2014-19. Devendra Fadnavis, who is the BJP's main face in Maharashtra, could benefit from the weakened standing of the opposition due to the split of erstwhile undivided NCP and Shiv Sena.
His prospects at becoming a CM for the second time could, however, be hurt by his diminished stature in Eknath Shinde's rule. His chances could also be dented because of the BJP being accused of orchestrating the the split of the NCP and Shiv Sena.
Moreover, Fadnavis is a Brahmin face and his chances could be thwarted due to the Maratha reservation agitation led by Manoj Jarange-Patil. Besides internal rivalry in the BJP, the probability of Fadnavis 2.0 could be dented if the Congress sustains its Lok Sabha performance.
In case he fares well, Fadnavis could maximise the BJP's strike rate and become the party's pan-Maharashtra face again.
Ajit Pawar
CM in-waiting since 2004, Ajit Dada is also a contendor for the top post due to the NCP being a crucial factor in government formation. Besides his formidable organisational skills, Ajit Pawar is known for his ground connect with local leaders.
His chances of getting the top post, however, are highly likely to be throttled because the NCP is contesting only on 59 seats and the inorganic alliance with the BJP and Shiv Sena could mar vote transfer. He also has no pan-state presence outside of the Pune and Vidarbha region.
He is on a slippery slope since NCP MLAs could defect if the Ajit-led faction performs poorly and there is sympathy factor for Sharad Pawar.
MAHA VIKAS AGHADI
Nana Patole
Serving as the Maharashtra Congress chief, Patole has grassroots political experience to back his claim for the CM post. He is also seen as a vocal opponent of the Modi-led government at the Centre.
Patole could benefit highly from the inflation in the state and anti-incumbency against Mahayuti besides unrest over soyabean prices. The grassroots Congress leader is also likely to benefit from the support of the Muslims, Dalits and Marathas for the MVA.
While he has a lot to write home about, Patole's chances could be marred as the party cadre is demoralised after the Haryana drubbing and because he has a limited pan-state presence. He could also be out of the competition due to the factionalism within the Congress and intra-MVA suspicions.
Uddhav Thackeray
Thackeray's gambit to become the CM could work because has a sympathy factor among a section of voters after Shinde's 2022 rebellion. Due to his moderate style of leadership, he is seen as acceptable among Muslims and Dalits.
Thackeray could also benefit from the voters' unease with the politics of defection and anti-incumbency against Mahayuti. Despite this, the Shiv Sena (UBT) chief's chances could be impeded as he is seen as aloof and unapproachable and not perceived as hardworking.
The Shiv Sena's votebank has been splintered and SS (UBT) has been weakened due to Shinde's rebellion, something which could put Thackeray's ambitions on a halt. Shiv Sena (UBT)'s poor performance can wreck its future prospects completely.