Shinde is new Maharashtra CM

‘‘I am grateful to her (Sonia) as she gave me an opportunity to be CM for three consecutive years,’’ Deshmukh said after quietly submitting his resignation this morning. ‘‘By choosing Shinde — a backward class leader who started as a court peon — she has fulfilled the dream of Mahatma Gandhi.’’

Earlier, Sonia Gandhi told the three Congress observers in the state of her decision. Shinde is now likely to take charge on Saturday, said AICC general secretary incharge of Maharashtra, Vayalar Ravi.

Party legislators were informed of the decision by the AICC observers through a letter, which said blandly: ‘‘In view of the vacancy caused by the resignation submitted to the Congress president by Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh … this meeting of the Maharashtra Congress Legislature Party resolves unanimously that the Congress president Smt Sonia Gandhi be requested to nominate the leader of the Congress Legislature Party in Maharashtra.’’

The decision was a foregone conclusion, but the rank and file didn’t seem particularly happy. No thunderous applause greeted the decision. Shinde, a Member of Parliament from Solapur will now have to resign and become a member of the state Assembly within six months of taking charge.

The Minister for Animal Husbandry, Anandrao Devkate, announced his decision to vacate his seat for Shinde. That has relieved the party’s central leadership, which would have found it difficult to find a safe seat for Shinde.

Given the Congress’ factions, it would be a tough task to get a legislator to vacate his seat in favour of the new leader.

The shift of loyalties from the Deshmukh camp to the Shinde camp was glaringly evident. While they were busy lauding Shinde, a smiling Deshmukh, accompanied by five security guards, walked out of Sahyadri, the state government rest house and chosen venue for the power shift.

While few saluted Deshmukh voluntarily, others hesitated, unsure whether it would be proper in the present circumstances.

Shinde was humility personified. ‘‘Power comes and goes. If you take away the trappings of power, what is left behind is humanity,’’ he told party MLAs. Vilasrao may have lost power today, but it is certainly not my gain.’’

Despite the shenanigans of the last three days, Deshmukh and Shinde enjoy an excellent personal relationship and in political circles they are known as do hanso ka joda (a pair of swans).

Shinde has much to do. Deshmukh lost his job because he couldn’t govern well or implement the party manifesto. Viewed as ‘‘too casual’’ to handle the job of the chief minister, Deshmukh couldn’t stop Maharashtra’s bankruptcy, and he used the coalition syndrome as a shield to mask his failures.

Sonia has been specifically perturbed by rising communal tension in Deshmukh’s 26 months in power. Ravi has been despatched to the State by Sonia atleast eight times since he took charge in less than a year.

So damaging was this government’s rule to the Congress’ future prospects that at the extended general body meeting of the MPCC on January 2, this year, a resolution was moved to invite Sonia to address public meetings in the Vidarbha, Marathwada, western Maharashtra and North Maharashtra regions.

Another major reason for Deshmukh’s exit was the growing chasm between the Congress in the government and the party. Sonia has been inundated with regular complaints about Deshmukh from over three-fourths of the state Congress committee and senior party leaders in the State.

The power tussle between MPCC president Govindrao Adik and Deshmukh is largely responsible for the dismal performance of the Congress in the State. Both, Deshmukh and Adik did not trust each other and have never missed an opportunity to use the media to target the other.