Top Congress leaders meet; discuss Maharashtra situation

Top Congress leaders today went into a huddle in the backdrop of political uncertainty in Maharashtra where incumbent chief minister Ashok Chavan was forced to resign following charges of corruption.

Party president Sonia Gandhi held deliberations with AICC incharge of Maharashtra AK Antony, senior party leader Pranab Mukherjee, home minister P Chidambaram, law minister Veerappa Moily, parliamentary affairs minister PK Bansal, ministers of state for parliamentary affairs V Narayanaswamy and Prithviraj Chavan besides political secretary to Gandhi, Ahmad Patel.

After the meeting that lasted for over one hour, Mukherjee told reporters that he and Antony were leaving for Mumbai immediately.

"There is nothing to report at this moment," he said.

Mukherjee and Antony have been appointed as Central observers for the Maharashtra Congress Legislature Party which is meeting at 10pm tonight to elect a new leader.

Front-runners for the CM's post are Union ministers Prithviraj Chavan and Mukul Wasnik and Maharashtra agriculture minister Balasaheb Thorat.

The meeting was called to decide the party's strategy during the current Parliament session but the Maharashtra issue is understood to have come up for discussion.

Mukherjee, Antony and Patel also had a separate meeting with Gandhi on the Maharashtra issue.

The meeting comes in the wake of opposition parties raising the scams in Adarsh Housing Society, Commonwealth Games and 2G spectrum on the first day of the winter session.

Earlier in the day, Mukherjee had indicated that Chavan's resignation was accepted on the basis of perception.

"I am not going to make a value judgement. It was not a regular inquiry commission. Nothing like that. We went on certain aspects. Political decisions are taken many times on perception and based on certain facts," he said.

Congress sources said the decision on the next chief minister of Maharashtra would be taken in Mumbai and not Delhi.

They said the decision would be quick -- as early as tonight or latest by tomorrow morning. "It will be a speedy decision".

The sources said it was important to take into account the opinion of the MLAs but at the same time maintained that it would not be a "provocation" to ally NCP.

"Decision will be ours but it will not be a provocation to our ally," the Congress sources said indicating that sensibilities of NCP will be kept in mind while deciding on the new chief minister.