Deshmukh rules out Vidarbha resolution

By Arunkumar Bhatt

NAGPUR, NOV. 28. Even as the demand for statehood for the Vidarbha region gained support among the Treasury and Opposition benches, the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh, today said categorically that the Assembly would not pass any resolution endorsing the plea.

As tempers ran high in the Assembly, Mr. Satish Chaturvedi of the Congress warned that Vidarbha legislators would resign enmasse. He accepted the Shiv Sena challenge that the MLAs demanding statehood resign and get re- elected on this issue.

An angry Chief Minister was responding to a Bharatiya Janata Party member's taunt, during a debate, that he should not be worried about losing power over the issue. Earlier, Mr. Deshmukh brushed aside a suggestion from the BJP leader, Mr. Gopinath Munde, to introduce a motion supporting the demand.

Mr. Deshmukh said the motion would not be viable unless he was assured of unanimity in the House. But the strong exchanges in the Assembly underscored the point that every party was surprised at the success of yesterday's general strike called in support of statehood.

The number of pro-Vidarbha legislators in the

Congress ranks swelled today and the BJP members not only backed the demand but even poured into the well to join the shouting Congress members.

Ignoring the Sena objections, the Speaker, Mr. Arun Gujarathi, allowed a discussion under Rule 101 but not without deleting a reference to `separation' by Mr. Satish Chaturvedi, who said ``the mounting backlog of development of Vidarbha has caused public dissatisfaction leading to the demand for the region's separation from Maharashtra.''

Mr. Gujarathi confined the debate to the `dissatisfaction of the people.' However, the Deputy Speaker, Mr. Pramod Shendge, who took the Chair soon, announced the original title.

Mr. Gujarathi belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party, whose stand on the issue is vague, while Mr. Shendge, elected from a Vidarbha constituency, is for separation though he belongs to the Congress. The BJP wanted the Congress to pilot the pro-Vidarbha resolution so that the Centre could take it up with Congress support and the BJP could get it passed in both the Houses of Parliament.

But the Congress would not take such a risk. It depends a lot on the Vidarbha region for its overall strength in the State. Even in the present circumstances, separation would mean the Congress losing the status of being the largest party in the rest of Maharashtra. And it would have to vacate the Chief Ministership to Mr. Sharad Pawar's NCP, which would be the bigger partner in the Democratic Front.

On the other hand, the Congress, which has 26 out of 66 Vidarbha MLAs, would be the largest party in the new State and could form the first government in Nagpur. But political circles believe that the bifurcation of Maharashtra would crack both the ruling and Opposition alliances. The strong pro- Maharashtra feelings in the western region could wipe out the

Congress in the Maharashtra elections which would not be far behind the turmoil that follows the separation.

Mr. Deshmukh, therefore, would not risk his and his party's future for the sake of Vidarbha. This suits the BJP most as its open stand would now only be a minor irritant to its ally, Shiv Sena, and it would not lose face in Vidarbha. Like the Congress(I), the BJP also depends significantly on Vidarbha. It can now put the Congress in a fix, arguing why it could not support the demand for an independent Vidarbha in Parliament when it supported the formation of three States in the Hindi belt.

PTI reports:

`Vigil at Thackeray's residence'

Police were maintaining a strict vigil at the Shiv Sena leader, Mr. Bal Thackeray's residence, `Matoshri,' in Mumbai in view of threat from the Pakistani militant outfit, Laskar-e-Taiba, the Maharashtra Legislative Council was informed today.

Replying to a question, the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr. Chhagan Bhujbal, said police had received information about threats to Mr. Thackeray from the Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Harkat- ul- Mujahideen, on September 16.

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