New Delhi: A change of guard in Maharashtra is on the cards. A formal announcement to move Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is expected to be made soon.
According to sources, the ruling Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi has started the process of consultation with senior members of the party to find out Deshmukh's successor and plan out an honourable exit for him.
Indications available suggest that the race is between federal power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and the state's revenue minister Narayan Rane, with the balance tilted in favour of Shinde. Incidentally, both Shinde and Rane have served as chief ministers of Maharashtra in the past.
Shiv Sena member
While Shinde had replaced Deshmukh as the state chief minister prior to 2004 state assembly polls and was sent to Andhra Pradesh as governor after guiding the party to victory, Rane had served as chief minister while he was a member of the Shiv Sena.
Deshmukh, in all probability, would be accommodated as one of the national general secretaries of the party since Sonia is expected to reshuffle her team of office bearers soon to tone up the party before the next round of assembly polls and the fast approaching general elections. "In all probability, the announcement would be made after the ongoing budget session of the party concludes, since changing chief minister while assembly is in session is not the right step to take," party sources said.
There is no indication yet on when the current session of state assembly would end since the business advisory committee is scheduled to decide the issue in its proposed meeting tomorrow.
