Who will be next Maharashtra CM? All eyes on these frontrunners

(L-R) Uddhav Thackeray, Ajit Pawar, Supriya Sule, Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde

The results of the high decibel assembly elections in Maharashtra will be revealed in just two days, with anticipation mounting over the outcome of the contest between the Mahayuti alliance and Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

While a majority of exit polls have predicted that Mahayuti is likely to form the government, a few have favoured MVA. Let us have a look at the names across the alliances who have potential to be the next CM.

MAHAYUTI

Devendra Fadnavis

Devendra Fadnavis, the two time CM, is the strongest contender for the post. Fadnavis spearheaded the BJP's campaign for the assembly elections. He played a pivotal role in seat-sharing negotiations with the Shiv Sena and NCP and in candidate selection. His strategy ensured BJP leaders like Shaina NC and Nilesh Rane received tickets through alliance partners. He traveled across the state, addressing 64 public rallies. He is also known as an astute backroom strategist who has helped script successes for BJP in the past.

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Eknath Shinde

Although he engineered a rebellion in the Shiv Sena and walked away with most of the MPs and MLAs from Uddhav Thackeray, nobody had an inclination that he would become the CM till Fadnavis announced his name in a press conference at Raj Bhavan in June 2022.

ALSO READ: Extraordinary rise of Eknath Shinde - From autorickshaw driver to Maharashtra CM

Despite having a mere 40 MLAs with him, which was less than half of BJP's, he was chosen to head the government due to his Maratha identity. The top BJP leadership believed that in then upcoming Lok Sabha and assembly polls, Maratha agitators would pose trouble and Shinde would be able to mitigate the crisis. The Election Commission recognised his faction as the real Shiv Sena and alloted him the official bow and arrow symbol of the party.

A protege of late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe who was known for his fund raising and networking skills, Shinde has an experience of over three decades in politics. He was part of Devendra Fadnavis' cabinet (2014) and Uddhav Thackeray's cabinet (2019) and held urban development portfolio.

In 2024, Shinde's Shiv Sena has to emerge as the single largest party within Mahayuti for him to claim the CM's post.

Ajit Pawar

Deputy CM Ajit Pawar has been a "CM in waiting," since 2004. In that election, NCP emerged as the single largest party and Ajit had a chance to become the CM. However, the party chief and his uncle Shared Pawar forfieted the post to the Congress for an extra cabinet berth in the UPA government.

ALSO READ: 'Macho man' to 'mimicry man': Why Ajit Pawar is Maharashtra’s most complex political figure

He was often targeted by the BJP over his alleged role in the multi-crore irrigation scam and Devendra Fadnavis threatened him to put in jail in 2019. However, in July 2023, he rebelled from the party and joined the Mahayuti government as the Deputy CM. Like Shinde, the Election Commission alloted the official party name and symbol clock to his faction. Throughout his political career, Ajit has been a Deputy CM for four times. His elevation to the CM's post is only possible if his party wind highest number of seats within the Mahayuti alliance.

Sudhir Mungantiwar

Mungantiwar is a party stalwart from the Vidarbha region. A legislator from Chandrapur, his name was among the probable candidates for the CM post in 2014 as well, before Fadnavis was chosen. Mungantiwar is an OBC face of the party. A five time legislator, Mungantiwar has been a cabinet minister in three governments of the BJP. He first became a minister in 1995 when the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance formed government for the first time in Maharashtra. From 2010 to 2013, he was the president of Maharashtra BJP as well. He is the strongest contender for CM's post after Fadnavis.

Vinod Tawde

It was due to an initiative by former Education Minister Vinod Tawde that Bhilar, near hill station Mahabaleshwar, is known as the "book village of Maharashtra," where almost every home has a public library. Vinod Tawde was recently embroiled in a controversy over allegations of cash distribution during elections at Palghar. A Maratha face from Konkan, Tawde was a part of Fadnavis cabinet till 2019. However, he was not given candidature in 2019 assembly polls. Thereafter, he was removed from the state politics and worked as BJP's General Secretary. While in Delhi, Tawde has become a confidant of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who trusts him for important political operations. It will not be a surprise if Tawde is picked for the CM post.

Pankaja Munde

"I am the CM of people's heart," - Pankaja Munde couldn't hide her ambition of becoming the CM in 2014 during a public gathering when the BJP was yet to announce its Chief Ministerial pick. Although she couldn't become the CM, she was inducted into Devendra Fadnavis' cabinet.

Daughter of deceased BJP stalwart and OBC leader Gopinath Munde, Pankaja debuted in electoral politics in 2009 by winning the Parli assembly seat of Beed. However, in 2019, she was defeated by her cousin Dhananjay Munde, who contested on the NCP ticket. After her defeat, she was removed from the state politics and was inducted into the central unit of the BJP as a National Secretary.

She returned to Maharashtra to contest 2024 Lok Sabha polls from the Beed constituency. Although Pankaja lost, she was elected as a member of the legislative council. If chosen, Pankaja will be the first woman CM of Maharashtra.

MVA

Uddhav Thackeray

Before the election process began, his party (Shiv Sena, UBT) insisted that the MVA should announce its CM candidate. However, other constituents of the MVA didn't concur. Uddhav's two and half years tenure as CM was marred by controversies and troubles ranging from the pandemic to the Antilia case.

ALSO READ: Uddhav Thackeray - Will the nice guy of Maharashtra politics finish first?

His party leaders contend that Uddhav should become the CM if MVA comes to power since he is the most vocal face in Maharashtra to take on the BJP. Despite a rebellion in his party, he has been able to sail through the Lok Sabha polls and his party won 9 seats as compared to 6 won by the Shinde Sena.

Nana Patole

Patole, the Maharashtra chief of Congress is too eyeing the CM's chair. With the Congress emerging as the largest party in state in the Lok Sabha polls, Patole claims the credit for revival of the party in Maharashtra. He believes that Congress will emerge as the single largest party in the assembly as well and would claim the CM's chair.

Patole, an MLA of Sakoli was elected as a BJP MP in 2014 from Bhandara-Gondiya seat in the Lok Sabha polls. However, due to differences with PM Modi, he quit the BJP and joined the Congress. He was elected as the speaker of assembly when the MVA government came in power.

Prithviraj Chavan

Chavan, a veteran Congressman and former CM, is once again in the race for the hotseat. Active in the party since late PM Rajiv Gandhi's era, Chavan has played roles in the party and governments. He was minister of state for the PMO during Manmohan Singh's regime. He has been representing Karad-South assembly seat since 2014. Chavan has a non-controversial image and is known as a technocrat and strategist within the party. However, his old age (78) may go against him.

ALSO READ: Sharad Pawar - How the maverick leader reshaped Maharashtra politics

Balasaheb Thorat

Thorat has remained undefeated from the Sangamner assembly constituency since 1985, winning 8 elections consecutively. He was a minister several times and also headed the state unit of Congress from 2019 to 2021. Presently, he is secretary of the MVA.

Jayant Patil

Patil is the Maharashtra unit chief of the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar). A confidante of Pawar, Jayant Patil has been representing the Islampur assembly seat (earlier Walva) since 1990. Winning 7 consecutive elections, Patil has emerged as the key strategist of Sharad Pawar's party. As a minister, he has held various key portfolios in different governments ranging from finance to home.

Supriya Sule

Although she has kept herself away from the electoral politics of the state and has been representing Baramati in Parliament since 2009, she is not wary to the prospect of becoming Maharashtra's CM. Before Ajit Pawar's rebellion, questions were raised about who will inherit the political legacy of Sharad Pawar. However, Ajit Pawar's exit has settled the issue. Presently, she is the Working President of NCP (SP)

Others: Apart from the above, there are a few names who could emerge as a surprise pick. They are as follows: Ashish Shelar (BJP), Chandrakant Patil (BJP), Chandrashekhar Bawankule (BJP), Aditya Thackeray (SS, UBT) and Sunil Tatkare (NCP).