Team Devendra Fadnavis: Four CM aspirants, one Amit Shah confidant, one Modi man

PANKAJA MUNDE
35, OBC, Marathwada
Has grown from looking after her late father’s constituency Parli in Beed district to becoming a leader in her own right. Was elected to the assembly in 2009 after her father moved to the national stage, and was elected BJP state youth wing president soon after. She has established herself as an able orator and led a massive election rally of 2 lakh OBCs at Bhagvangad in Ahmednagar district, which was attended by BJP president Amit Shah. This was her first rally after Gopinath Munde’s death. Pankaja combines administrative skills with qualities of a mass leader, and has been candid about her ambitions.

CHANDRAKANT PATIL
46, Maratha, Western Maharashtra
Close to Amit Shah; was in the running for state BJP chief. Has roots in Kolhapur, from where Shah’s parents-in-law hail, and where Shah launched the BJP’s Assembly polls campaign. Is low-profile member of the Legislative Council, vice-president of the state BJP; could serve as bridge between party and government. Has close ties with RSS; was asked by Shah to negotiate with Sena on government formation. His links with Shah go back to the time he was with ABVP in Gujarat. Affectionately called ‘Dada’; has commerce degree from Mumbai’s Siddharth College. Lives in Ghargoti village in Kolhapur.

VINOD TAWDE
51, Maratha, Mumbai
Three-term MLC and former Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council; debutes in state assembly after winning the Borivali seat. Known for his ability to organise, plan and strategise, and has always played a key role in the party organisation, whether as general secretary or while leading it in the state council. Tawde’s home is in Mumbai, and his roots are in Konkan. Has an engineering degree in Electronics; joined the Akhil Bharatiya Vidhyarthi Parishad in college. Has often played the “Maratha card” to bolster his claim of leadership in the state and party. Announced during campaign that he would become home minister and “send Ajit Pawar to jail”.

VISHNU SAVRA
63, ST, Thane
6-term MLA, now represents Vekramgarh in Palghar district, a tribal dominated area adjoining Thane district. BJP tribal face since the 90s; was minister of state for tribal development in BJP-Sena government. Was Thane district chief, where BJP managed to break Sena’s hegemony, the credit for which is generally given to Savra’s hard work.

VIDYA THAKUR
53, North Indian, Mumbai
Four-time corporator from Malad, former deputy mayor, now first-time MLA from Mumbai’s Goregaon seat, where she upset Sena heavyweight Subhash Desai. Wife of senior BJP leader Jaiprakash Thakur, who contested the Kandivali (East) seat but lost. Belongs to a family with deep RSS and Jan Sangh roots; her father Prabhushankar Sharma was an active RSS pracharak. Brother Rajesh Sharma, who too has been a BJP deputy mayor, switched to Congress in 2012, and unsuccessfully contested the Jogeshwari (East) seat. Sharma described his sister as a “straightforward, non-corrupt, efficient worker”.

PRAKASH MEHTA
55, Gujarati Brahmin, Mumbai
Six-time MLA, seniormost BJP MLA from Mumbai; has been representing Ghatkopar in the assembly since 1990. Was minister in Sena-BJP government — first MoS Housing, Labour, Slum Improvement, Urban Land Ceiling, then cabinet minister for Tourism, Consumer Protection and Excise. Was a close aide of Gopinath Munde, and is thought to be close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP insiders say it was Mehta who persuaded Modi to hold an election rally at Mumbai’s Somaiya Grounds to improve his prospects against former aide Pravin Chedda, who fought on a Congress ticket. Mehta is chairman of Thane’s Vishwatmak Om Gurudev College of Engineering; has been pushing for several years for higher FSI to redevelop Mumbai’s suburbs.

EKNATH KHADSE
62, Leva-Patil, North Maharashtra
As Leader of Opposition, Khadse’s fiery speeches were always good headline material. Kept himself in the race for chief ministership until the very end, with his supporters organising a morcha in Jalgaon to press their demand — their argument being also that Khandesh, comprising Jalgaon, Nandurbar and Dhule districts, has never had a chief minister. A former village sarpanch, has always worked on rural and agragrian issues; chairman of Jalgaon District Cooperative Bank. MLA from Muktainagar in Jalgaon district; now in his sixth term as MLA. Was instrumental, along with Gopinath Munde and Pramod Mahajan, in forging alliance with Shiv Sena 25 years ago. Was minister for finance, higher education, irrigation in 1995-1999 BJP-Sena government; reportedly keen on finance/revenue now.

SUDHIR MUNGANTIWAR
52, Vaishya, Vidarbha
His outspokenness has landed him in controversy before; a fortnight ago, he suggested that union minister Nitin Gadkari should become chief minister. Began political career as BJP youth wing leader in Chandrapur district of Vidarbha, and contested assembly elections for the first time in 1995 from Chandrapur constituency. Was minister of state for tourism and consumer grievances in the Shiv Sena-BJP government in 1995-99. Became state BJP president in 2010 after Nitin Gadkari was elevated as BJP national president. Five-term MLA, now representing Ballarpur in Chandrapur district; has frequently raised issues of Vidarbha’s backwardness in the assembly. Has a passion for singing and shayari.