Anti-Chavan lobby steps up ‘oust Thakre’ chorus

Union Heavy Industries Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh may be in New Delhi but his eyes are firmly on Maharashtra and he is intent on remotely controlling the MPCC body by getting his man Friday Ulhas Pawar nominated to the state Congress body.

Deshmukh who is still sulking after his unceremonious replacement by Chavan wants to get his men in the state congress unit. First he wants to oust the incumbent Manikrao Thakre who is considered close to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan.

It would also be okay for him if he forest minister Patangrao Kadam or agriculture minister Balasaheb Thorat are nominated in place of Thakre.

Now that he has decided not to let the Chief Minister Ashok Chavan have a friendly person as the MPCC president, he is leaving no stone unturned to lobby for his supporters.

On Saturday he called on AICC Chief Sonia Gandhi in Delhi.

Sources said the meeting of the four member delegation led by Deshmukh confidante Ulhas Pawar with Gandhi lasted for over 15 minutes.

The meeting assumes significance as it was the first appointment given by the AICC president to a delegation from Maharashtra after the state unit passed a resolution authorising her to appoint the next state unit chief and Mumbai president.

Vilasrao Deshmukh told newspersons in Nagpur on Sunday that Ulhas Pawar did not complain against any individual. " We just appraised the Congress president about the prevailing political situation in the state and organisational issues," he added.

According to sources, in the last two years the party has not been able to complete the target of even 50 per cent booth formation. Similarly, the state executive has not met even once to discuss manifesto implementation.

Sources said they had requested Gandhi to appoint a senior leader acceptable to all to lead the state and Mumbai units in view of Zilla Parishad elections and that of 10 major municipal corporations including Mumbai which are scheduled in the next few months.

Revenue Minister Narayan Rane, who has given up his futile chase for the chief minister's chair temporarily, wants to ensure that the next MPCC chief is not handpicked by Chavan. Sources said he has already started suggesting the name of forest minister Patangrao Kadam for the MPCC chief's job.

Kadam is not very pleased with his current portfolio.

Meanwhile, Balasaheb Thorat whose name is also doing the round as being in the race for the top job, told newspersons in Sangamner that he would rather keep agriculture portfolio and that he is not interested in the MPCC job.