Photo Courtesy - News Marathi 18

By Tejas

Pune, September 21, 2024:Though the Election Commission of India is yet to announce dates for the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly elections, all major political parties in the state have already started their preparations in this regard. 

With parties deliberating seat-sharing formulas and candidates beginning their campaign preparations, a particular banner in Baramati has caught everyone’s attention. The banner, erected to give wishes of Eid-e-Milad, names Supriya Sule, NCP (SP) MP, as the "future Chief Minister" and Yugendra Pawar as the "fixed MLA" of Baramati.

The banner, put up by a group called the ‘Full and Final Group,’ has been prominently erected at Gunavadi Chowk in Baramati. Its content has ignited political gossip, as it suggests a potential CM candidate from Baramati, despite no official confirmation or discussion about the role from parties.

Currently, the Mahayuti coalition, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena (Shinde faction), NCP (Ajit Pawar group), and other small parties including the RPI-Athavale and RSP of Mahadev Jankar, is in the government. Whereas the Mahavikas Aghadi coalition of Congress, NCP (SP), and Shiv Sena (UBT) are in the opposition. Interestingly, a few days ago, Bacchu Kadu, Chhatrapati Sambhajiraje, and Raju Shetti announced the third front in Maharashtra under the name of 'Parivartan Mahashakti'.

In the larger state context, neither Mahayuti nor MVA have reached a consensus on who will be their chief ministerial candidate. In Mahavikas Aghadi, the Shiv Sena (UBT) group is constantly nudging its partners to declare the face of the CM ahead of the assembly election. For this demand, they even met the Congress high command in Delhi.

However, neither the NCP (SP) party nor the Congress party have shown their readiness for this proposal. However, in the recent meeting of Congress workers, the senior leader of the Congress, Balasaheb Thorat, assured party workers that after the election, there will be the Congress CM in the state.

Similarly, in the Mahayuti also, there appears to be a tussle over the CM position. During the Ganeshotsav, the Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had commented in Pune that everyone wants to be the CM. But not everyone's wishes get fulfilled, showing his long-standing aspiration for the post.

However, on the other hand, Shiv Sena's Shinde faction, which currently holds the post, is also not in the mood to relinquish their claim. Meanwhile, BJP's Devendra Fadnavis, who previously served as CM, also remains a strong contender after having ceded the role to Shinde for 2.5 years.

Amidst these developments, though earlier Sharad Pawar had refused to contend for the CM post, saying there was no one from his party wanting to become CM, there have been quiet murmurs within the political circle of the state, suggesting that Sharad Pawar might propose Supriya Sule as a consensus candidate for CM post-election after the poll results. 

It is noteworthy that in a progressive state like Maharashtra, there has not been a single woman CM in the state. Therefore, current banners in Baramati are adding more fuel to ongoing political gossip in Maharashtra over the CM post as state heads into election season.