Trusted lieutenants at helm

A day after his unceremonious exit on January 19 last year, Vilasrao Deshmukh had promised a comeback. And on Monday, when caretaker Chief M...

A day after his unceremonious exit on January 19 last year, Vilasrao Deshmukh had promised a comeback. And on Monday, when caretaker Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde proposed his name for the top slot, Deshmukh was not surprised.

Ever since the declaration of results for the Assembly elections, Deshmukh has been pushing his cause. After the late S.B. Chavan and NCP chief Sharad Pawar, he is the third politician to occupy the CM’s post in the state for a second term.

Deshmukh is a former sarpanch of Babhalgaon in Latur district. He has managed to convince Congress chief Sonia Gandhi that ‘‘in the larger interest’’ of the state, Maharashtra should have a Maratha chief minister. This move would also counter his arch rival, NCP president Sharad Pawar. Further, he objected to the Dalit card being used by Shinde.

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At 59, it’s been a long run for Deshmukh. When he was 24, he was associated with drought relief work at his native Babhalgaon village. Later he became a member of the Babhalgaon Panchayat Samiti and its chairman in 1974.

From sarpanch, he rose to become chief minister in 1999. In between, he was minister of state for Home from 1982 to 1986 and Cabinet member from 1986 to 1994. In the 1995 Assembly elections, Deshmukh was mauled in his hometown by Janata Dal’s Shivajirao Kavhekar. In the 1999 Assembly polls, he was elected to the lower House by a massive margin.

After becoming CM, there was no looking back. However, in January 2003, there was a sudden demand for his removal. He would not step down unless he was informed about his shortcomings. However, after a directive from Sonia, he stepped down in favour of Shinde.

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