Mumbai/IBNS: Nationalist Congress Party (SCP) chief Sharad Pawar has ruled out projecting a Chief Ministerial face on part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), the opposition alliance, in the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections, media reports said.

Speaking to reporters, Pawar said as quoted by Hindustan Times, "The decision on who will be the chief minister can be made after the poll results. The candidate will be decided on the basis of which party wins the most number of seats within the alliance."

The MVA, an opposition alliance, is formed by the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT).

The NCP and Congress have outrightly rejected the Shiv Sena (UBT)'s bid to project its chief Uddhav Thackeray as the Chief Ministerial face for the upcoming state elections.

The alliance ruled Maharashtra from 2019 to 2022 until erstwhile united Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde became the Chief Minister with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Shinde succeeded Thackeray, who was also the chief of the Shiv Sena.

In Maharashtra, which saw multiple "horse-trading" and alliance crumblings leading to political instability over the last few years, the BJP-led NDA which comprises Shiv Sena (Eknath Shinde camp) suffered the jolt facing the upbeat national opposition bloc INDIA, which won 30 out of 48 seats.

The NDA comprising the Eknath Shinde faction of Shiv Sena and Ajit Pawar's NCP could add only 17 seats.