Power Cutter

VILASRAO Deshmukh is perhaps the first Congress chief minister to hit international headlines for all the wrong reasons. In his report submi...

VILASRAO Deshmukh is perhaps the first Congress chief minister to hit international headlines for all the wrong reasons. In his report submitted at the 61st session of the UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva this March, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on adequate housing criticised India for demolishing slums in Mumbai.

It8217;s no wonder then that Sonia Gandhi, who had chosen Deshmukh over a Dalit leader as Maharashtra8217;s chief minister a couple of months ago, passed directives to stop demolitions and asked him to focus on the 8216;human8217; side of development.

Political controversies are not new to Deshmukh, who turns 60 on May 26, 2005. During his first stint in the CM8217;s office, he was accused of lethargic governance. His political detractors even charged him with promoting his son Ritish8217;s film career more than anything else.

He was unceremoniously removed in January 2003 after spending over three years in office and given a party posting instead.

DESHMUKH has never been a quitter. After his exit, he promised a comeback. 8216;8216;What else? I will start working again with renewed vigour. I shall come back, not once but again and again,8217;8217; he said. And return he did.

Last year the party needed a leader who could save its future in Maharashtra where it had been relegated to second position. NCP bagged 71 seats against 69 of the Congress, which led to protracted discussions over chief ministership. Deshmukh was chosen, and many say, has proved to be the better choice.

He has rarely missed a chance to live upto his image of a known Pawar-baiter. At the same time he has been able to quell challenges from within his own party, the NCP and the opposition using his far flung friendships and man management.

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In fact, the ever smiling Deshmukh8212;a lawyer by training and a keen rider8212; is known to have friends in all parties and all walks of life. His cordial relations with Sena8217;s Narayan Rane and BJP8217;s Gopinath Munde are well known.

But these days Deshmukh has little to smile over. He may have got back the crown but has realised it8217;s not so comfortable any more. When he returned as chief minister, he found the debt burden was about to cross the Rs 1 crore mark, thanks to populist promises like free power to farmers.

On the free power issue, Deshmukh took an unshakable stand that invited protests from Delhi and within his state unit. But he succeeded in stalling the scheme, drawing much-needed support from Pawar.

But his plan for a Mumbai makeover on the lines of Shanghai boomranged. He had to stop demolitions after being rebuked by Sonia and ally NCP. The 8216;promise8217; to rehabilitate slums that have come up after the approved deadline of 1995 still haunts him though he has maintained the party never promised that. He should be happy though now that MPCC chief Prabha Rau has said it was not a promise but a printing error in the party manifesto.

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Political pundits call this a victory for Deshmukh, who started his political career as sarpanch of his native village Babhalgaon in Latur district. 8216;8216;Now it8217;s between the MPCC and Sonia8230; he has tactfully kept himself away from all this,8217;8217; says a Congress leader.

He even managed to distance himself from the decision to ban dance bars. But that8217;s not the last of his troubles. He now finds himself in a dark patch over the unprecedented power crisis in Maharashtra. He8217;s taken all the blame on the government for placing India8217;s powerhouse on the brink of darkness8212; 8216;8216;We didn8217;t make serious efforts to generate additional energy in last ten years.8217;8217; But it will take him some serious effort to get out of the darkness this time.