Drive against Deshmukh gathers pace

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is trying to stay calm amid a new campaign, apparently to dislodge him from the Chief Ministership.

A letter written by the All India General Secretary (AICC) general secretary in charge of the state, Margaret Alva, to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) charging the state government with apathy and lethargy in the implementation of the PM's package for the six suicide-stricked districts of Vidarbha and calling for a review of the implementation of the package has found its way to the offices of a prominent English newspaper from the city.

The letter is considered a fresh attempt by Deshmukh's detractors to start another "replace the CM" campaign in the power corridors of Delhi.

Wondering, why this letter, written three months ago was leaked to the media now, sources close to the chief minister said: "After receiving Alva's letter, the PMO asked for clarification and the state government gave a point by point rebuttal to all issues raised in the letter.The PMO has said it is satisfied with our reply," the sources claimed.

However, sinister motives are being imputed to Deshmukh's detractors which include Alva, state Congress President Prabha Rau and revenue minister Narayan Rane, who have tried earlier as well, to put the blame of issues like farmers suicide and the Congress's failure to win Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's election earlier this year, despite a political atmosphere favourable to the Congress, sources pointed out.

A senior party functionary from the state said: "It is anticipated that the party president Sonia Gandhi will carry out a reshuffle at the AICC level and also at the state level and it seems that the chief minister's detractors in party have launched a fresh campaign either to prevent these changes or preempt them".

Meanwhile not wasting any opportunity to attack Deshmukh and the Democratic Front (DF) government in the state, president of state unit of the BJP, Nitin Gadkari issued a statement saying, "what we were saying all along has been endorsed by the Congress itself and shows how the DF government is insensitive and callous towards the plight of cotton growing farmers".

The five-page letter by Alva has also accepts the fact that the Prime Minister's package has not helped the farmers but NCP controlled district cooperative banks to come out of the red, Gadkari claimed.