Nuke stand-off in Delhi gives CM a reprieve

MUMBAI: The UPA’s curse may turn out to be a blessing for Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. The possibility of a mid-term poll at the Centre is likely to help Mr Deshmukh retain his job despite the organised efforts of his adversaries to get him replaced, Congress sources said.

The chief minister called on party president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi on Saturday to brief her about the latest controversy over his alleged remarks on Vidarbha farmers. Ms Gandhi, however, did not lend her ears to a posse of about 150 Congress leaders and functionaries from the state unit, sources said.

“That Ms Gandhi did not meet the so-called disgruntled Congress leaders who have ganged up against Mr Deshmukh is proof that she does not want a change of guard in the state. The party high command has to consider several others factors as well. Replacing Mr Deshmukh over some non-issues is certainly not a priority for the leadership,” a state Congress functionary and Mr Deshmukh’s close confidante told ET. The Deshmukh camp is jubilant about the “mature view taken by the party high command”.

“The high command knows that replacing a chief minister at a time when many major things are happening could be disastrous. Even the Vidarbha package, announced during Mr Deshmukh’s tenure, has been implemented fairly well. Several major Mumbai makeover projects are at a critical stage and it’s essential that political continuity is maintained,” said one Deshmukh supporter.

But the 150-strong delegation that had rushed to Delhi to demand Mr Deshmukh’s ouster claims the “temporary reprieve” that the chief minister seems to have earned has more to do with the possibility of a mid-term poll than either the political scenario in Maharashtra or Mr Deshmukh’s performance.

“The high command is of the view that a change of guard at this hour could be counter productive in the event of an early Lok Sabha poll. It would be far from truth to say that the high command is satisfied with Mr Deshmukh’s performance.

If that was indeed the case, Ms Gandhi would not have summoned him as many times as she has in recent times. May be the timing was not good,” said one prominent member of the anti-Deshmukh camp. Some of the AICC functionaries associated with the affairs of the state have told the Congress delegation to “wait till the political situation in Delhi takes a concrete shape”, sources said.

Even in the past, his rivals had tried to persuade the high command to remove Mr Deshmukh — after the Mumbai floods, following the bomb blasts in suburban locals, and after the Congress’ defeat in the BMC polls.