Not asked yet, but Prithviraj Chavan ready to quit

MUMBAI: Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chavan has said he was willing to quit as soon as the Congress high command tells him and move to a position in the party, a statement that came as a senior party leader indicated that leadership change in the state might be announced next week.

Chavan's statement on Friday came a day after Sharad Pawar held talks with senior Congress leaders AK Antony and Ahmed Patel in Delhi and sought Chavan's removal from the chief minister's position ahead of the assembly elections in the state.

A senior Congress leader, who did not wish to be identified, said a team of the party's central observers could arrive in Mumbai on Monday and hold meetings with Congress MLAs to ascertain their preferences, adding that the process of deciding the next chief minister would be completed in about a week.

Chavan told the media in Pune, "I have not received any message from Delhi so far but as soon as I am given any instruction, I am immediately willing to quit and move to a party position." He added that he was headed for Delhi to discuss some administrative issues with the union government and would meet the Congress central leaders as well.

Pawar on Friday also indicated that leadership change in Maharashtra could be in the offing.

"I can tell you that there will be also some changes in the NCP at the state level. The Congress party has to decide who the next CM is going to be it is not for the NCP to decide the name," he said.