Union Transport minister Nitin Gadkari may have thrown his hat into the ring as the next chief minister of Maharashtra, but the party's 44-year-old state chief Devendra Fadnavis still remains the top bet.

Yesterday, demands for Gadkari to be Maharashtra CM came as soon as he landed in Nagpur.  Sudhir Mungantiwar, a Gadkari loyalist, said the state unit wanted Gadkari to be CM. "We all want Nitin (Gadkari)ji should think about Maharashtra. He should considering coming here. When party asked Nitin-ji if he wants to come to Maharashtra he refused. We are very surprised about that. We will request him to come," said Mungantiwar.

Gadkari, said media reports, is not comfortable at the prospect of Devendra Fadnavis becoming Chief Minister. And unless Prime Minister Narendra Modi stands firmly by Fadnavis, he has little chance.

Mungantiwar said he was surprised to hear Gadkari say that he was happy in Delhi. Gadkari had said that he does not aspire to be CM and was happy in Delhi but changed his stance last evening saying he would be happy to do what the party asks him to, just short of saying he was open to be CM.

Like Gadkari, Fadnavis is from Nagpur and has the backing of the RSS. But it was at the RSS' urging that Fadnavis was chosen last year as the BJP's president in the state.

The decision, will be taken, after Diwali.