Who will be the next CM? Mahayuti, MVA constituents drop different names

Even before the first votes for the Maharashtra elections 2024 are counted fissures have emerged within the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi MVA on who will head the next government with constituents in both camps laying claim over the chief ministers post reported news agency PTIAfter polling for the 288member assembly ended on Wednesday evening the ruling as well as opposition fronts have started claiming that mandate will be in their favour when votes are counted on November 23Soon after polling state Congress chief Nana Patole asserted an MVA government would be formed in Maharashtra under the leadership of his partyVoting trends suggest the Congress will get the maximum number of seats in the new assembly he saidHis remarks did not go down well with ally Shiv Sena UBT whose leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday insisted the chief ministerial face will be decided by all alliance partners jointly once the MVA secures majorityThe Rajya Sabha MP said if the Congress high command has told Patole that he will be the CM face then the national partys president Mallikarjun Kharge and its top leaders Rahul Gandhi Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra should announce the same reported PTIThe MVA consisting of the Congress Shiv Sena UBT and NCP SP and the Mahayuti comprising the BJP Shiv Sena and NCP have expressed confidence that their respective alliance will form the next government after votes are counted on SaturdayWhile a majority of exit polls have predicted that Mahayuti will retain power a few have favoured the MVAOn the Mahayuti side Shiv Sena MLA and party spokesperson Sanjay Shirsat said the Maharashtra elections 2024 were contested with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as the faceVoters have shown their preference for Shinde through voting I think it is Shindes right to be the next CM and we are confident that he will be the next CM Shirsat said reported PTIBJP leader Pravin Darekar batted for Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for the top post reported PTII think if anyone from the BJP is becoming the CM then it will be Devendra Fadnavis he said reported PTINCP leader Amol Mitkari pushed the name of his party chief and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar for the coveted job reported PTIWhatever the results the NCP will be the kingmaker Mitkari saidAsked about the CM face Fadnavis maintained all three Mahayuti parties will sit together and take a good decision reported PTISpeaking to reporters separately BJP leader Darekar claimed the Mahayuti will form the next government dismissing the possibility of the MVA coming to power and said the opposition bloc was plagued by internal rifts reported PTIThe people of Maharashtra have given a clear mandate The Chief Minister will be from the Mahayuti not the MVA and certainly not the Congress he asserted reported PTIHighlighting divisions within the MVA Darekar said Congress MP Praniti Shinde and her father and former CM Sushilkumar Shinde supported an independent candidate against Uddhav Thackerays nominee in a constituency in Solapur district These internal rifts expose a lack of unity How can parties without internal coherence decide on a Chief Minister reported PTIThe BJP leader said Patoles aspirations to become chief minister were nothing but Mungerilal ke haseen sapne daydreamingOn exit polls Darekar remarked While no exit poll is final most have predicted a Mahayuti win Even independent candidates on winning are likely to back Mahayuti reported PTITaking a swipe at Prahar Janshakti Party leader Bachchu Kadu he said Kadu speaks with grand bravado but his own seat is under threat Let him first declare how many of his candidates are winning reported PTIRegarding Rahul Gandhis statements on the Adani group the BJP leader quipped Rahul Gandhi should go to the US and focus on issues abroad where his commentary might hold weight His remarks on the fall of the Union government are childish and baselessOn the alleged involvement of NCP SP Lok Sabha MP Supriya Sule and Patole in using bitcoins illegally to fund elections Darekar said the truth will come out soonBoth Sule and Patole have denied the allegationsThe EDs investigation is uncovering links to MVA leaders The truth will emerge soon he asserted reported PTIHighlighting the increase in turnout in the November 20 assembly polls in the state Darekar credited the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh RSS for their grassroots campaign to encourage votingThe final turnout in Maharashtra assembly polls was 6605 per cent up from 611 per cent in 2019 according to the Election CommissionDarekar maintained the Mahayuti governments Ladki Bahin Yojana has resonated with women votersWith inputs from PTI