PUNE, 28 December 2007 — Bharatiya Janata Party Vice President Gopinath Munde warned yesterday that the Congress would disintegrate if Vilasrao Deshmukh continued as the chief minister of Maharashtra.
Speaking at a program organized by the Pune Union of Working Journalists (PUWJ), Munde, an old friend of Deshmukh, said the chief minister should be replaced immediately to prevent the Congress from breaking up. Munde also expressed his desire to become the chief minister.
Munde said the Congress would have a tough time in the next general elections given the chaos in the Congress-led Democratic Front (DF) government that has created a wide gap between the people and the coalition parties. “Ministers’ open accusations against their Cabinet colleagues and bureaucrats expose the sorry state of affairs and send a wrong message across the state,” he said.
Referring to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President Sharad Pawar’s meeting with Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, Munde said it was an indication that the Congress was going to lose power in New Delhi and that Pawar was looking to Sena to rescue him. He said that even if the NCP and Sena joined hands, Pawar’s ambition of becoming the prime minister would never be fulfilled as his party would always fall short of numbers. “However, there is no harm in Pawar dreaming to become the prime minister.”
Meanwhile, unnerved by the adverse developments, Chief Minister Deshmukh said he would perform any task assigned to him by the Congress high command. “I’m fully prepared to execute any responsibility given to me by the party” Deshmukh said.
Against the backdrop of the ongoing power tussle, federal Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has emerged as the frontrunner for the chief minister’s post if Deshmukh is sacked. Shinde, a non-controversial leader, enjoys the support of Pawar. Congress leaders in the state feel that Shinde is the right person to replace Deshmukh. He has vast experience, is known for good governance and is popular among all factions of the Congress.
Shinde is a Dalit and there had been opposition from the powerful Maratha caste lobby in the past to his becoming the chief minister. That helped Deshmukh assume the CM’s post. But now the picture has changed as the Maratha lobby stands divided.
Shinde during his visit to Solapur, his hometown, last month had told journalists to wait till the second week of January for a major development. So, if the Congress high command decides to change the leadership, it would be in January and that Pawar will have a say in deciding about the next chief minister. Though Shinde is in Congress, he remains the blue-eyed boy of Pawar and hence stands a better chance to win his favor, said a senior minister.
Shinde said on Tuesday he would have no hesitation in taking over as chief minister if Deshmukh is asked to quit by the Congress high command. “However, I’m happy and satisfied with my present portfolio in the federal government,” Shinde, said.
State BJP President Nitin Gadkari has said, “The Congress party’s move to change the leadership in Maharashtra will not resolve the crisis in the state, but would aggravate it. The present situation in the state government is extremely pathetic and alarming. Cabinet ministers do not listen to the chief minister and the bureaucrats have the same attitude toward ministers. There is total chaos in the DF government. The only solution to overcome the crisis is to dissolve the government and hold elections, Gadkari said.
