Kaun Banega Mukhyamantri?

After some shameless backdoor diplomacy to save his gaddi, Mr. Deshmukh has been shown the door. We can expect the announcement of the new CM today.

Let's evaluate the candidates in the fray...

Prithviraj Chavhan (Not Chauhan) is a Marathi guy from Western Maharashtra settled in Delhi since his childhood... essentially a Delhi Darbari with little knowledge of or base in Maharashtra... Biggest plus point - access to 10 Janpath & Glib talker

Narayan Rane... The Shiv Sena rebel... Good administrator but bad orator... Can’t make an impact on Elite Mumbaikars... Will Sonia reward an “outsider”? Congress’s best bet to torpedo BJP-SS in the coming election… everywhere except Mumbai!

Sushilkumar Shinde… The fallback guy… mediocre administrator… viewed as a “soft” person… Being the only Dalit candidate, Maratha lobby will oppose his candidature… Also he himself does not seem to be keen on occupying the “hot seat”…

Ashok Chavan… The most sophisticated of the candidates… good equation with Sharad Pawar… Good administrator… clean slate… Has correct political lineage (Son of Shankarrao Chavan)… True blue Maratha..

Balasaheb Vikhepatil… This Sugar Baron is an old warhorse with “rustic charm”… Good administrator with deep understanding of the Sugar cooperative movement… In fact his father pioneered it in Maharshtra!

3M thinks Rane followed by Ashok Chavan have the best chance… finally “madam” and “saheb” will take the call!