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Not
many choices before Congress to replace Ashok Chavan
Sunday October 31, 2010 05:25:08 PM,
IANS
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Mumbai:
With Ashok Chavan likely to step down and the names of several
senior Maharashtra Congress leaders reportedly figuring in the
Adarsh housing society scam, the search for a replacement chief
minister in the state has become tough, say party sources.
The party state unit is awaiting the report of the two-member
committee probing the housing society scam that will decide the
fate of Chavan.
The Congress is lookinf for a suitable replacement for Chavan
after he offered to quit in the wake of the controversial Adarsh
Co-operative Housing Society Ltd affair. Chavan's mother-in-law,
who died earlier this year, and two other relatives own flats in
the plush society in Colaba built on land reportedly earmarked for
a housing society for the families of Kargil martyrs.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi Saturday appointed union ministers
Pranab Mukherjee and A.K. Antony to probe the matter and submit
their report. She earlier met Chavan, who clarified his position
and offered to quit.
With hardly a choice left, the Congress leadership is now believed
to be looking 'beyond' the usual probables - union ministers
Sushilkumar Shinde, Vilasrao Deshmukh - or even senior state
leaders Narayan Rane and Patangrao Kadam, to fill up Chavan's
vacancy, if the situation arises.
According to some activists, the names of Shinde and Deshmukh also
figure in the scam. They were allegedly involved in certain
administrative decisions pertaining to Adarsh housing society, the
activists claim.
Now, state Congressmen are bracing themselves for an unexpected
dark horse, if Chavan is asked to go, though nobody is willing to
make a clear bet on any leader from the state or the centre to
take over the reins in the state.
The issue of a decision over Chavan's continuance or choosing his
successor has assumed urgency due to several reasons, state party
leaders point out.
For one, the impending visit of US President Barack Obama to India
next weekend - Nov 6 - when it would be imperative to have a
strong leader in place for the VVIP trip that kicks off in Mumbai.
The other is the winter session of parliament slated to start in
New Delhi Nov 9 next week when the opposition would not let go the
opportunity to rip apart the ruling party, especially since it
involves a matter as sensitive as the country's defence and armed
forces.
In mid-December the Maharashtra legislature will have its winter
session when the party cannot afford to be leaderless.
The party has already faced considerable embarrassment over the
‘cash for rally' episode earlier this month involving the state
Congress party chief Manikrao Thakre and the plethora of scams
surrounding city Congress party chief Kripa Shankar Singh. All of
this offers much fodder for the opposition cannons.
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