Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Mumbai siege is taking its toll politically in Maharashtra. A day after home minister RR Patil resigned, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is to meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
He is under increasing pressure to quit too. But the Congress and the NCP are struggling to come to an understanding to find the next chief minister.
After deputy CM R R Patil tendered his resignation, Dehmukh's position has become untenable. The pictures of the CM with filmmakers at ground zero on Sunday were flashed across various sections of media and for the people already suffering, this perhaps came as the last straw.
As public outrage mounted, Congress was being forced to act on the ouster of Deshmukh.
"If I have fallen short in anything or I have not been able to arrange things up to the mark, you are free to make decisions based on that," said Vilasrao in defence of himself.
But even if Congress does dislodge Deshmukh from chief ministership, that is only half the problem solved. The choice of a new man is now becoming a problem.
The Congress central leadership held a round of talks with its leaders who could be a part of the decision making process.
"We have to consult our allies also," said Defence Minister and party general secretary A K Antony.
"All that we demand is that the choice of the new chief minister should be made after due consultation and intimation," said NCP strongman and Aviation Minister Prafull Patel.
Among the names doing the rounds are Union Ministers Sushil Kumar Shinde and Prithviraj Chavan.
Sushil Kumar Shinde was the Chief Minister when the party came back to power in 2005 but had to hand over the CM's baton to Deshmukh.
Prithviraj Chavan is a Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and is seen as a possible replacement.
Chavan may have the backing of a powerful section in the high commands of the party but the party must also remember that he may not be such an asset in the forthcoming elections in terms of helping Congress hold sway in the state..
For a second term running Vilasrao Deshmukh will not be able to be chief minister of Maharashtra for uninterrupted five years.
There was a similar situation in 2003 when Shinde replaced him. But when the Congress-NCP combine was returned to power in 2004, Shinde lost his chair to Deshmukh. History may well just repeat itself in Maharashtra.
(With inputs from Sumit Pande)
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