Maharashtra polls head for a close finish

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.

The performance of the Democratic Front government, instances of farmers' suicides, malnutrition deaths, scams including the multi-crore counterfeit stamp-paper racket, communal riots, bomb blasts and electricity scenario provided fodder to the saffron siblings' attack against the five year regime of Congress-NCP.

On the other hand, the ruling coalition harped on the "failure" of the erstwhile NDA regime and "misgovernance" of the Sena-BJP during its rule in Maharashtra from 1995-99.