The BJP is eyeing to sweep the next month's Maharashtra Assembly polls and is confident of a second term in office as the opposition NCP and Congress in the state appear to be in disarray, say observers. While the BJP and ally Shiv Sena are yet to announce the seat-sharing pact for the polls, scheduled on October 21, the Amit Shah-led party believes it will be back to power with a thumping majority. The BJP top brass is repeatedly stressing that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis would helm the state once again, but the Shiv Sena wants to project party president Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya Thackeray for the top post in the event of the saffron alliance returning to power.

The Sena may agree to contest less seats if Aaditya Thackeray, who is likely to make his poll debut next month, is given the deputy chief minister's post, a party source said. "A section of Sena leaders are, however, uncomfortable with this strategy," he added. Making it clear that the abrogation of Article 370 would be the BJP's main poll plank in Maharashtra, Shah last week urged people to show the Congress and NCP their place for "opposing" the government's move in Jammu and Kashmir. As part of a pre-poll mass outreach campaign, Fadnavis also recently toured 140 out of the total 288 Assembly seats in the state through his 'Mahajanadesh Yatra'.