Click to play videoMumbai: Even before the counting begins for the Maharashtra elections, the jostling for the chief minister's chair has already started. In the last few days, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Revenue Minister Narayan Rane and Union Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh have all met the party's central leadership with the sole aim of staking claim to the chief minister's chair if the Congress-NCP alliance gets a majority.
Deshmukh - who resigned after the 26/11 fiasco - denies on record that he wants to go back to Mumbai at this stage.
"Such things happen and tough decisions have to be taken. But I have worked very hard in the last four years for the people," he said.
Rane, on the other hand, has been open about his keeness for the top job. He had been chief minister when the Shiv Sena was in power and is determined to have another shot at it, but was cautious about giving too much away to the media.
"The final decision will be taken by the high command. I am just here to serve the people," he said.
Meanwhile, Chavan, who is seen as the front runner for the top job, is playing it safe. The campaign had clearly seen him being projected as the Congress's potential chief minister, but he's parroting the party's traditional line on the leadership issue.
"The final decision will be taken by the Congress leadership after consultation with MLAs," Chavan said.
While the race is on between all Congress leaders, coalition partner NCP also pitched in by saying a Kashmir-like formula for sharing the chief ministership should be considered.
NCP Leader Chhagan Bhujbal said, "A Kashmir style arrangement where one candidate from each party gets to be chief minister for a part of the tenure could work."
Most opinion polls indicate that the Congress-NCP alliance is poised for a hattrick in Maharashtra. But even if the ruling alliance wins, the battle for the chief minister's post may be far from over. In 2004, Sushil Kumar Shinde was replaced after an election victory by Vilasrao Desmukh. Will history repeat itself, or will Chavan hold on to his office if the Congress-NCP allaince wins? The answers will be out soon one way or the other.
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