"Complicated" is going to be the middle name of the assembly election in Maharashtra this year. But the state is bracing for an even tougher battle once the dust settles - one for the Chief Minister's chair. No matter which side wins, ruling alliance Mahayuti or the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, that decision is unlikely to be simple or straightforward - so much so that many are expecting a political reconfiguration post-result, a sequel of what happened in 2019 that set the stage for a drastic political upheaval two years down the line.
What makes the situation complicated is resolute nature of the claimants -- on each side, only two appear to be running for the top post.
It is difficult to assess the ambitions of both factions of the NCP. On one side is veteran leader Sharad Pawar, dubbed by many as the Chanakya of Maharashtra, on the other hand, there is his nephew Ajit Pawar, who is being seen as the "kingmaker" in this election.
In the ruling alliance, Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena is eager to see its leader get the top job again, and many surveys have already declared him a popular leader. But that could prove insufficient should the Mahayuti win, with Devendra Fadnavis and his supporters waiting in the wings.
Back in June 2022, Mr Fadnavis's supporters had been disgruntled over what they saw as short shrift to their leader despite the key role he played in steering the party back to power.
Mr Fadnavis had made his reluctance to accept the number 2 position clear - he accepted only at the last minute after orders from the party high command. An extra chair had to be brought so he could join Mr Shinde on the dais for the oath ceremony at the Raj Bhavan.
This time, there are whispers that the BJP's chief strategist, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is garnering votes for Mr Fadnavis. At a recent public rally, he said, "Maharashtra has a lot of faith in Modi ji and Fadnavis ji". There was no mention of Eknath Shinde.
But the real drama appears reserved for the Opposition MVA should it come to power.
In 2019, the BJP had accused Uddhav Thackeray of breaking the alliance with his steadfast demand for the top post. This time, while Mr Thackeray has not been explicit, his allies are not expecting him to give up on his claim.
But unlike in 2019, a new claimant has appeared on the scene - the Congress with its 13 Lok Sabha seats.
While Mr Thackeray has repeatedly demanded that the Chief ministerial face of the alliance be declared well in advance, Congress' big leader and former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan made it clear that the party which has more MLAs, will get the top job.
There is also talk of Sharad Pawar's faction of the Nationalist Congress Party adding the veteran leader's daughter, Supriya Sule, in the mix if need be.
Maharashtra votes on November 20 in a single phase and the counting of votes will be held on November 23.
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