The Hindu : MPCC chief resents warning from Deshmukh supporters

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 30, 2002

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MPCC chief resents warning from Deshmukh supporters

By Mahesh Vijapurkar

MUMBAI AUG. 29. The Maharashtra Chief Minister, Vilasrao Deshmukh, may have been given a clean chit by the party high command but the detractors' camp insists that he would have to pay the price eventually.

This despite nine Ministers and two MLAs warning against his removal.

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee said today that the party would depend on its past, its traditions and not the Government's performance, to seek the support from the people.

As the MPCC chief, Govindrao Adik, put it, what the "group of 11" did yesterday "was not acceptable" since most of them were inducted into the Government to stabilise it with the party president, Sonia Gandhi's blessings.

"They cannot disown the Congress or challenge it," he said.

To many here, the group's stand that its support to the coalition government cannot be taken for granted if Mr. Deshmukh were to be replaced was a "challenge to both our high command as well as the entire coalition government". "This cannot be allowed to go on."

Yesterday, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, Rohidas Patil, clarified that the Independents only expressed their support to the Government, not an individual.

According to sources here, the statement of the "group of 11", quoted with pride by Mr. Deshmukh's followers, was still being assessed by the high command, which is wondering whether the group would actually carry out the threat if a change was enforced.

Interestingly, the 200-odd office-bearers of the MPCC and the district units, which met yesterday, felt that the party would be hard put to face the people because the Government failed to "deliver anything to them".

It is in this backdrop that Mr. Adik made public the view that in future campaigns, the party would depend on its past, not the Government's performance.

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