With this, Pawar has made it clear that he is not willing to take things lying down, especially when his followers were being targeted for the defeat of R D Pradhan in the recent Rajya Sabha elections.

Pradhan lost due to cross-voting by Legislators, allegedly belonging to Pawar camp. Sonia rushed a three-member CWC team to Mumbai to go into the causes for his defeat.

Based on the initial report of the committee, comprising Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy, A K Antony and Rajesh Pilot, Sonia cleared the show-cause notice to Patel, which was seen as a thinly-veiled warning to Pawar instead.

Since then Pawar has been in touch with Patel and other membersof his group. Strangely, he has signed his statement as `Leader of the Opposition', and not as a CWC member. It says: ``I am surprised by certain uninformed reports appearing in some sections of the media about my absence from the country which is for medical consultations. Before leaving for Mumbai, I had apprised the Congress president about my assessment of the results of the Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council elections from Maharashtra.''

``I understand that the Congress president had sent a team of party observers to Mumbai to inquire into the reasons for the defeat of the official Congress candidate for Rajya Sabha. Based on the interim report of the observers, I understand that some action has been initiated against persons including Shri Praful Patel, MP, who has all along been an active and loyal Congressman.''

``It is unfortunate that some sections of the party and the Press are using my absence from the country to further their own interests at the cost of the party's unity at a time when theCongress has to play a crucial role in steering the country through critical times.''

``I will be meeting the Congress president immediately on my return to discuss these issues, including attempts in certain quarters to give a mischievous interpretation to the unfortunate defeat of the official Congress candidate from Maharashtra. No efforts were spared for the election of this candidate with whom I have enjoyed excellent rapport for the last 30 years,'' it says.

Basically, Pawar is saying he will stand by Patel and will take on his rivals in the Congress. The reference here is believed to be to CWC members Arjun Singh, Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy and Pilot who are not exactly known for their pro-Pawar stance. Singh, in particular, is understood to harbour strong feelings against Pawar.

In a recent interaction with the media, after the CWC meeting on June 23, Singh had kept the option of action against Pawar open saying that would be decided after the inquiry team makes a second visit to Mumbai. This hasupset the Pawar camp. The tussle between the pro-and anti-Pawar camps is an important one and could upset the Congress apple-cart when other anti-BJP parties are urging the Congress to head the next Government.