Deshmukh plans stir for Vidarbha state

Former Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Ranjit Deshmukh on Wednesday announced plans to launch a statewide agitation to seek the status of a separate state for Vidarbha.

He is also demanding clearance for the development backlog in the region.

Deshmukh said that he would undertake a tour of the eleven districts in Vidarbha where, he said, there was an overwhelming demand for statehood.

Interestingly, the Congress lost in 10 of the 11 parliamentary constituencies in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections. Immediately thereafter, demands for Deshmukh's removal began doing the rounds in the Congress party.

In a bid to counter his removal from the post of the MPCC chief Deshmukh appears to be set to revive the demand for statehood for the Vidarbha region in the run up to the state Assembly elections.

Responding to a query he said: "It is true that I had raised the demand for statehood for the region three years ago when I was Maharashtra's agriculture minister. It is a consequence of my support for this demand that I lost my ministership and am still suffering ignominy within the party."

The former MPCC chief has indicated that he would be organising current and former MPs, MLAs, members of municipal corporations and councils, cooperative sector, urban and rural banks along with industrialists during a week long tour beginning from Thursday.