Will decide on Ajit after talks: Chavan

DAYS after NCP leader Ajit Pawars resignation from the Maharashtra government triggered speculation about the stability of the coalition government,

Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Thursday had his own show of solidarity as Congress MLAs streamed in to meet him at his official residence in Mumbai where he assured them that the government was stable.

While Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel said the Maharashtra CM should accept Ajit Pawars resignation,Chavan himself told the MLAs that he would take a decision after speaking to top leaders from both parties.

Sections of NCP and Pawars loyalists have been blaming Chavan for providing the fodder for media articles on irrigation irregularities.

Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Manikrao Thakre,ministers and MLAs had a close-door meeting with Chavan at his residence Thursday afternoon for about an hour where the current political situation was discussed. Chavan did not speak to the media after the meeting,but sources said allegations that Chavan was behind the continuous stream of stories on irrigation irregularities were dismissed.

A Congress MLA who attended the meeting said Chavan said these days information was available through RTI.

An hour later,Thakre held another meeting with some Congress leaders where they asked NCP leaders to rein in their workers,some of whom had burnt Chavans effigies. It was not an official meeting of Congress legislators. Issues will be sorted out by leaders of both parties. A decision on accepting the resignation will be taken after speaking to leaders in New Delhi. Congress MLAs expressed solidarity with the Chief Minister and are backing him, said Thakre.

He added that the next meeting of the state co-ordination committee meeting would take place in the first week of October. WIth PTI