Blow to NCP campaign against Maharashtra Chief Minister as Congress backs Prithviraj Chavan for now

The campaign initiated by NCP and some Congressmen to remove Prithviraj Chavan as chief minister of Maharashtra suffered a set back as the Congress central leadership feels the CM’s removal just ahead of the assembly polls may prompt CM-aspirants who lose out to trigger a wave of dissidence.

After NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s demand to replace Chavan and his subsequent discussion with top Congress leaders in Delhi last week, many aspirants from Maharashtra Congress rushed to Delhi to lobby with AICC. Looking at the overall situation, the Congress high command decided to make no change in Maharashtra for the time being.

“Many leaders like Narayan Rane, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Harshavardhan Patil, Balasaheb Thorat, Patangrao Kadam and others rushed to Delhi in the hope that their name could be included in the probable list of CM candidates but with just one-and-half months to go before Election Commission’s model code of conduct could be enforced for the assembly polls, it may be too late to bring in any new face as CM,” said Suresh Bhatevara, former youth Congress leader from Maharashtra.

“CM Chavan went to Delhi on Saturday and presented his case before Congress president Sonia Gandhi and other leaders. He brought it to their notice that NCP leaders in Maharashtra were putting pressure on him to clear certain files but these clearances would violate rules and would create a controversy.

Chavan told the leaders that NCP was complaining against him only because such projects which would be bigger scams than Adarsh were being pushed by NCP leaders,” said a Congress MLC close to Chavan According to some leaders in the party, Sushil Kumar Shinde’s reluctance to take charge just 45-50 days before the announcement of the model code of conduct was also one of the reasons for indecision in the matter.

He is the only one above the pack and undisputed.