Sonia says Chavan is man for the job

In a strong message to detractors of chief minister Ashok Chavan, party president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday gave him a certificate of excellence and hinted that he would be her choice to head the Democratic Front if the alliance were returned to power.

Gandhi, who addressed a huge crowd on Tuesday at the Guru Gobind Singh Stadium in Nanded, Chavan’s hometown, minced no words while endorsing his leadership. In her 12-minute speech, she said, “Ashokji has displayed the political will to effectively implement development policies across all regions of Maharashtra. Not only Nanded, but the face of entire Maharashtra will change for the better.”

Gandhi, who returned to Nanded after exactly a year, said she could see the pace of development in the region. “Nanded will set the example by becoming India’s first slum-free city,” she said.

Cautioning against the divisive politics of the Sena-BJP, she said, “You decide how you want Maharashtra to evolve.” Generally, the Congress does not declare its chief ministerial candidate before an election. So, Gandhi’s praise for Chavan surprised the party. According to a state observer, “It is a message to Vilasrao Deshmukh and Narayan Rane to put their ambitions on the back burner for now.”