Maharashtra CM Chavan likely to be replaced, NCP keen on Sushilkumar Shinde
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- Category: Maharashtra Political News
- Last Updated: Thursday, 22 January 2015 20:59
Maharashtra CM Chavan likely to be replaced, NCP keen on Sushilkumar Shinde
With Assembly elections in Maharashtra scheduled later in the year, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan may be replaced as Maharashtra Chief Minister by the Congress leadership and former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde may take his place, as per sources on Thursday. Shinde is seen to have a positive image among the rural areas.
He is the party's dalit face in Maharashtra but the only issue that is likely to go against him is that he had lost in the recent Lok Sabha elections. It is believed that the NCP never had a good working relationship with Chavan and are keen on a replacement for him.
The names of state Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil and state Revenue Minister Bala Saheb Thorat are also doing the rounds as successor to Chavan. NCP chief Sharad Pawar along with Congress leaders AK Antony and Ahmed Patel met on Thursday to discuss the modalities and the strategy for the upcoming polls.
The meeting, which lasted for nearly half an hour, comes in the backdrop of intense speculation that the Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan may have to put down his papers. There is a view in the party that change of guard at this juncture, three months away from an assembly election, need to be looked into.
However, those for change say it could help the party get over the anti-incumbency to some extent. Seat-sharing talks for assembly elections are also to begin now. During the recent general elections, NCP won four and Congress two of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the worst showing by the two alliance partners.
source:http://ibnlive.in.com/, zeenews