CM-bug bites leaders

As the formal campaign yet to take off for Oct 13 polls, the CM-aspirants are leaving no stone unturned to grab the throne ? hopefully for five years, writes Sujata Anandan.

Kaun banega mukhya mantri? (Who will be the Chief Minister?) That's the million dollar question in Maharashtra as Assembly polls get underway. Even before the campaign can take off the caravan grows as more and more contenders from all parties join the race to the Chief Minister's office, reopening in October.

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There is no dearth of hopefuls in the Congress — perhaps Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is the only one not putting himself in the race at the moment. Congressmen are not likely to make it easy for him to return and they are also keeping an eagle eye out for the only seemingly Chief Minister material in the State Congress — former Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

Deshmukh says he is already an office bearer in the AICC and he is not going to ask for more from his party chief, unless she wishes it. "I am content to do the task I am assigned. We still have a long haul over the coals before we get to that particular bridge,'' he says.

Well, that certainly does not mean he will not be happy to be Chief Minister again but there are others he must overcome — former MPCC chief Govindrao Adik and current PCC president Prabha Rau, for example. Rau has become rather dependent on Adik to drive a hard bargain with the NCP for seats (and Adik is quibbling and nitpicking over every little thing for every seat with the NCP much to Congressmen's' delight). According to sources the price he may extract for this from Rau is the Chief Minister's chair, that is if she feels her health might not permit her to take on the job, of course.