CM lives another day, thanks to K'taka crisis

MUMBAI: The crisis in Karnataka Congress ahead of the crucial state Assembly elections slated for next month is likely to hand Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh a big reprieve. The embattled CM has been facing threat to his throne from within his party for quite some time now. There were reports doing the rounds that the Congress will undertake an exercise to find his successor soon after the current budget session of the state legislature was over on Friday.

Accordingly, a committee comprising veteran Congressman and external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and Union defence minister AK Antony was expected to reach Mumbai on Friday night. Though there was no official word from the Congress about the duo, the anti-Deshmukh camp was working overtime to keep the media clued in to their visit.

But on Friday evening, the ���unannounced��� visit stood cancelled as Mr Mukherjee had to look into more pressing issues in Karnataka. In the southern neighbouring state, the party has been facing a split as many Congress workers have threatened to quit. Leading the pack is former railway minister CK Jafar Sharief, who has put in his papers to protest against the party���s refusal of ticket to his grandson.

Despite the party accommodating his son-in-law from Raichur segment, Mr Sharief, a permanent member of the party���s highest decision-making body Congress Working Committee (CWC), was rooting for his grandson, Rehman Sharief. The party, however, refused to oblige him.

���It���s quite a serious situation in Karnataka. Mr Sharief is a senior leader from the minority community. Losing him just ahead of election will certainly have some impact on Congress��� chances,��� a Congress leader associated with Karnataka elections admitted. ���Karnataka needs more attention than Maharashtra,��� he said, when asked to comment on the buzz surrounding a likely change of guard in Maharashtra. Which means Mr Deshmukh will get a longer stint in the saddle.

In the past too, developments in other states have saved Mr Deshmukh every time his party detractors upped the ante. Party chief Sonia Gandhi���s ill health, Gujarat elections, Union Cabinet reshuffle have all come in the way of anti-Deshmukh lobby. On Friday, Mr Deshmukh put up a brave face as he sought to ridicule reports about him being replaced.

���I have read the reports like you did in the newspapers,��� Mr Deshmukh told reporters at Vidhan Bhawan after conclusion of the seven-week long budget session of Maharashtra Legislature. Asked about his opinion on such news reports predicting a change of guard in the state, Mr Deshmukh���s reply was a bit sarcastic: ���I have become habituated to it.���