Maharashtra polls heading for a close finish

The October 13 polls are poised to be a cliffhanger with rebellion plaguing major political parties.

The October 13 Maharashtra Assembly polls are poised to be a cliffhanger with rebellion plaguing major political parties, BSP and SP raising their stakes in the state politics and pollsters predicting a tight race.

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The ruling Congress-NCP, buoyed by their victory in 2004 Lok Sabha polls but attempting to ward off dissension and anti-incumbency factor, have locked horns with Shiv Sena-BJP combine, still reeling under the NDA's defeat and ill-health preventing their star campaigner Bal Thackeray from campaigning with full vigour.

Though the two major political combinations are slugging it out, the presence of BSP, SP and other party nominees and over 1,000 independents have turned the elections to the 288-member lower house, into a multi-cornered contest.

The BSP, which played a spoilsport for the Congress in Vidarbha in the Lok Sabha polls, is contesting maximum number of 272 seats and has extended an emotional appeal of carving out a separate state of Vidarbha.

The SP, which is contesting altogether 95 seats, has the potential of dividing votes in the minority dominated assembly constituencies.

Maharashtra polls poses a first electoral challenge for the Congress and the BJP after the UPA was installed in power in the general elections, that witnessed the fall of the Vajpayee-led NDA.