Deshmukh, Adik deny Sonia summons

Adik, too, denied any such invitation. ‘‘I have not been summoned, but I am likely to call on Sonia on Monday to submit a report on the post-Gujarat election situation in Maharashtra,’’ he said.

Adik, in fact, was in New Delhi on January 10 to call on Sonia. He could not meet her as Sonia was on a tour of Madhya Pradesh. ‘‘I was told to take a chance on Monday. If I get the appointment, I will visit Delhi,’’ said Adik, a rival of Deshmukh.

Ever since Deshmukh won the vote of confidence in June last year, his detractors, comprising Agriculture Minister Rohidas Patil, Industries Minister Patangrao Kadam and former MPCC chief Ranjeet Deshmukh, have stepped up their campaign for his removal. As there was no response from Sonia, for a few months, there was lull in the anti-Deshmukh camp.

But soon after the extended meeting of the Congress Working Committee on January 4 and 5, where Sonia reviewed the political situation in Congress-ruled states, Deshmukh’s critics renewed their campaign, claiming it will be difficult to retain power under his leadership.

But the pro-Deshmukh camp maintain that an attempt to remove the present CM would be suicidal in the absence of a suitable alternative. ‘‘We informed Vayalar Ravi that at a time when elections are just 20 months away any such exercise will be futile,’’ a Congress Minister said.

Deshmukh’s rivals have now made it clear that they will not meet AICC general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra, Vayalar Ravi, if there is any delay in acting on their plea. ‘‘If Sonia Gandhi refuses to meet us or does not give us an appointment in a day or two, we will return and decide our strategy. We have been meeting Ravi for the past one-and-a-half year but the response was never positive,’’ a senior Congress leader said.