Click to play videoNew Delhi: There has been no consensus yet on who could be a successor to Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. The fate of Deshmukh still hangs in balance.
A troubled Vilasrao Deshmukh has tendered two resignation offers to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and an apology for taking Ram Gopal Verma on a tour of Taj.
At a meeting with the party chief Sonia Gandhi, the usually unflappable Deshmukh searched for words to defend himself. Sources reveal that Mrs Gandhi pulled him up for taking filmmaker Ram Gopal Verma along.
Finding a successor to Vilasrao is also proving to be difficult. MoS in PMO Prithviraj Chavan is almost ruled out because of Sharad Pawar's objections.
Power Minster Sushil Kumar Shinde too seems to be out. The Prime Minister is apparently not keen to sacrifice a senior cabinet minister. That leaves Maharashtra industries minister Ashok Chavan and even Narayan Rane in the race, the former being the front-runner. The Congress is keen that a local leader succeed Vilasrao.
For now, the decision has been put on hold but with each passing day the Congress realises that its image is taking a further beating.
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