The Hindu : Front Page : Vilasrao Deshmukh is Congress choice

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 30, 2004

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Front Page

Vilasrao Deshmukh is Congress choice

By Our Mumbai Bureau

A HAPPY RETURN: The new Congress Legislature Party leader, Vilasrao Deshmukh (right) with the party observer, Ghulam Nabi Azad, after a meeting of the legislators in Mumbai on Friday. - Photo: Vivek Bendre

MUMBAI, OCT. 29. On a day of dramatic developments, former Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, emerged today as the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Maharashtra. The stamp of approval for his candidature came directly from the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, on a day when neither the media nor the Congressmen were certain who would be the choice.

Earlier, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) took much less time to decide on the former Home Minister, R.R. Patil, as the leader of their legislature party. Maharashtra will now have Marathas in both the number one and number two positions.

Mr. Deshmukh, who is from Latur in Marathwada, became Chief Minister of the Democratic Front Government in 1999. He was asked to step down in January 2003 to make way for the Dalit face of the Congress, Sushil Kumar Shinde. A protégé of the prominent Maratha politician, S. B. Chavan, Mr. Deshmukh was the first Chief Minister from the backward Marathwada region.

The day began tamely with the 68 Congress MLAs, nine Independents and 19 MLCs going in one by one to meet the central observers, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ashok Gehlot and Margaret Alva. They were asked to choose between theincumbent Mr. Shinde and Mr. Deshmukh, who had decided to stake his claim to the post.

Considerable support

A majority of them said they would be happy with whatever the party high command decided. Yet, it was clear as the day progressed that the 59-year-old Mr. Deshmukh had considerable support in the party, as high as 80 per cent according to some insiders.

Around 4 p.m., the central team and senior Maharashtra Congressmen held consultations as phone calls and faxes were exchanged with Delhi. It took more than three hours before a team was dispatched to summon Mr. Shinde and Mr. Deshmukh. Ms. Gandhi's decision was the conveyed to them.

The CLP was finally convened and Mr. Shinde proposed Mr. Deshmukh's name. Surupsingh Naik seconded it along with other senior Congressmen such as Patangrao Kadam and Govindrao Adik.

As the CLP meeting took place behind closed doors, party workers, balancing precariously on the tables outside, had their ears glued to the ventilators trying to listen to what was going on. When Mr. Shindewas summoned to propose Mr. Deshmukh's name, word went out that the incumbent Chief Minister had once again got the post. His supporters outside the Vidhan Bhavan began bursting crackers.

Minutes later, it became evident that the chosen one was Mr. Deshmukh. His supporters rushed into the corridor outside the room where the CLP was being held and raised slogans in support of Mr. Deshmukh and Ms. Gandhi.

Finally, the leaders emerged from the room. In the ensuing chaotic situation, the media were not able to get an official statement on Mr. Deshmukh's selection. As enthusiastic supporters rushed out behind their leaders, falling cameras injured reporters. Some of them lost watches and notebooks.

The delay in arriving at the decision has put off the swearing-in of the new government by at least a day, possibly two. Party insiders expect it to take place on Sunday.

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