Deshmukh’s distrust triggered Mahajan’s ouster

Deshmukh and Mahajan have been at loggerheads for several months now. While the MPCC president today told The Indian Express that Mahajan’s resignation came as a surprise to him and he hoped that the “matter will be amicably resolved soon”, Deshmukh himself appears to be the catalyst of the crisis.

In this ongoing battle of nerves between the two, his directive that Vasant Chavan, the other party spokesperson jointly address the weekly briefings of the Press along with Mahajanduring the course of the elections appears to have come as a last straw to the latter. Ever since the Congress lost the Government in Maharashtra, Mahajan has been keeping the pressure going on the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance by pouncing at the alliance’s lapses at his weekly briefings on Wednesdays. The ammunition came largely from Chief Minister Manohar Joshi’s briefings to the Press about his Government’s policies on Tuesdays.

Chavan followed up on Thursdays, often sharing the dais with leaders of the opposition Madhukarrao Pichad and Chhagan Bhujbal. However, Deshmukh recently directed that Chavan take over the briefings on all days including Wednesdays till elections. This was seen by Mahajan as an insult, considering that there have been scraps between the two in the recent past.

Although Mahajan was appointed as spokesperson by previous MPCC president Sushil Kumar Shinde, with Chavan bringing up the rear from among the Pawar supporters, Deshmukh allowed the arrangement to standsoon after he became the MPCC chief in July 1997.

A month later, he appeared to have raised Mahajan’s hackles by contradicting one of his weekly statements. During the run-up to the Maharashtra Government’s celebration of the Golden Jubilee of India’s Independence on August 9, 1997, Mahajan declared that party president Sitaram Kesri would not share a dais with perceived fascists as the original plan was to include Sena supremo Bal Thackeray in the celebrations.

The dust raised following this declaration saw Prime Minister IK Gujral as well expressing reservations about the idea of sharing a platform with Thackeray. While Kesri was still mulling over the issue, Deshmukh contradicted Mahajan by declaring the statement was his individual opinion and not the party’s official stand.

According to sources, Mahajan immediately offered his resignation but was talked out of it by Pawar in light of the fact that the Congress president endorsed Mahajan’s views and congratulated him for hitting upon such abrilliant way of cutting the Sena-BJP combine down to size.

The simmering of tempers came to a boil, however, during the Congress morcha to Nagpur during the winter session of the Legislature in December 1997.

Mahajan had declared that they would muster a figure of five lakh. In the end they managed only around one-and-a-half lakh. Meanwhile the large figure came in for some ridicule by the Sena-BJP who described it as ambitious beyond capacity.

According to sources, Deshmukh once again objected to the unilateral declaration of the five lakh figure by Mahajan in view of reservations expressed by Pawar on whether the party could indeed mobilise that many.

Mahajan was then all set to sign off his weekly briefings on New Year’s eve but was again talked out of it by party leaders.

The party leadership as well as workers appear to be greatly dismayed with both sides. “Deshmukh should not have attempted to disturb the status quo,” one Congress leader said. “It works against continuity and gives outthe wrong messages.”

Mahajan has come in for his share of criticism: The general opinion is that he should have held his horses and discussed the matter in the party forum rather than dash off an angry resignation letter. Meanwhile, neither Mahajan nor Chavan held any briefing today. “None but the party is the loser,” added the Congressman.