Mumbai, Sept. 14 -- With talk of reshuffle in the Union government, speculations are also rife over the possible restructuring in the state cabinet and change of leadership as many sections are opposed to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. A senior leader told HT that the reshuffle is imminent sooner or later because legislators who were ignored for long have upped the ante, while some ministers are in the dock over nonperformance, and some like school education minister Rajendra Darda are facing corruption charges in Coalgate.
Besides, many leaders are demanding Chavan's ouster because they doubt his ability to win numbers in the 2014 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state. Congress insiders claim that some senior leaders are lobbying hard with the high command to make changes in the state government and the organisation.
The party has been thinking of two plans over the last few months. One is to replace state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre and induct him into the state cabinet, while the other pertains to Chavan's rehabilitation in the Centre. It is said that party general secretary Rahul Gandhi, if he's given higher responsibility in the party or government, would like to have Chavan in his think-tank.
Another leader said Chavan is not too happy in the state because of constant bickering, and might return to Rajya Sabha through a vacancy created after Vilasrao Deshmukh's death.
Published by HT Syndication with permission from Hindustan Times.
