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Considered to be a loyalist of the Gandhi family, Shinde had succeeded Deshmukh towards the end of the tenure of the previous Congress-NCP government in 2003.
Shinde met Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday morning soon after Deshmukh announced that he had offered to quit as Chief Minister at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee on Saturday.
Besides Shinde, the name of Minister of State in PMO Prithviraj Chavan is doing the rounds in party circles as a possible successor to Deshmukh.
When contacted, Shinde refused to comment on the political developments in Maharashtra. "No comments," was his constant refrain to a volley of questions from reporters in New Delhi.
Shinde is talked about as a possible successor as he is known to have a good rapport with leaders of the coalition partner NCP, including its chief Sharad Pawar.
The search for Deshmukh's successor has gained urgency as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil resigned a day after Shivraj Patil was eased out as Union Home Minister.
Gandhi met Home Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister and in-charge of party affairs in Maharashtra A K Antony and senior party leader Ahmed Patel.
"A coalition government is there (in Maharashtra) and we have to consult the allies. Consultations are on. At this point I cannot say anything. I can say something later today or tomorrow," Antony told reporters after the meeting.
Deshmukh in trouble
More political heads rolled on Monday in the aftermath of Mumbai terror attacks with Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on the way out and his deputy R R Patil submitting his resignation.
"I offered to resign at the CWC meeting (on Saturday) if any responsibility lies on the Chief Minister. Whatever decision the high command and my leader takes, I will abide by it," 63-year-old Deshmukh told a news conference here.
Asked whether he has sent his resignation, he said "I am telling you in very, very simple words. You are intelligent enough to understand."
Deshmukh said Patil, who held the Home portfolio and had come under criticism for his handling of the situation, had sent his resignation which has been accepted and forwarded to Governor S C Jamir.
The continuance of Deshmukh, who has been Chief Minister for over four years, became untenable after the state government came under severe criticism over the last week's terror attacks and Shivraj Patil was eased out of the Union Home Ministry yesterday.
The Chief Minister also faced the flak when he was seen with his actor son Ritesh and filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma during a visit to Hotel Taj yesterday. On his successor, Deshmukh said neither has he discussed this issue with the high command nor has the central leadership told him anything.
Deshmukh also sought to defend Ritesh and Varma accompanying him to Hotel Taj saying he did nothing wrong.
The Chief Minister also announced a slew of measures to strengthen security in the state proposing to set up a unified command for better coordination among security forces.
He also announced that the Maharashtra State Security Guards, on the lines of the National Security Guards, within four months.
A state intelligence training centre would soon become functional in Pune.
On modernisation of police force, he said the state government would set up 24 coastal police stations for better monitoring of the seas.
The state government would also give smart cards to all fishermen, Deshmukh said and requested the Centre to direct other coastal states to follow suit.
The Chief Minister also announced that the government would form a State Security Council to go into matters of security in Maharashtra.
Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil resigns
Maharastra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, who was in the cross hairs in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, resigned on Monday.
"I have submitted my resignation letter to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. I have gone by my conscience and decided to take this step," Patil said.
Patil on Sunday had met Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and said that he would not resign from his post.
He further said that when Akshardham was attacked, the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi did not resign and when the Parliament was attacked the then Union Home Minister L K Advani did not resign.
"Then why should I resign after the Mumbai attack? What morality is BJP talking about?" Patil questioned.
Meanwhile, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to accept the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, who has resigned in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks.
"I have told the Chief Minister to accept the resignation of Patil," Pawar said.
The NCP chief and Agriculture Minister said Patil was feeling "uneasy" since the terror strikes and he had expressed his desire to step down three days back.
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Where ever terror strikes the people in authority should be taken to task and either be jailed for life or even hanged by nearest lamp-post in order to instill some sense of responsibility for those who are willing to stay in power.
Replacing one fool with another will not help. In India all this resignation by politicians is a big drama, no one ever leave politics and come back to earn more money. Remember Lalu once resigned as CM of Bihar for looting his own state, but he is today Railway Minister, his wife was CM and he even aspires to become PM, whatever happened to that resignation 10 yrs back!So Shinde replacing Deshmukh, Patil being replaced by Chidambaram etc etc is just to fool the people and people actually do not care. For us they are all same muslim (vote) loving fools, modern day Jaichand who will sell anyone for short term political gains
Politicans think by giving Resignation, they can wash their hands. Time has come to make them accountable for not taking appropriate precautions steps after earlier incidents.
Worst CM replaced by one of thenon performer. What is selection criteria for Mr Sushilkumar? To catch Dalit Vote Bank.
What R.R Patil quote abt Mumbai attacks is absoultly wrng
100 % Mr D Vilasrao will be replace only by Mr Sushilkumar, One another great failure as CM. Its not quesitin of responsibility of Mumbai attack. Congress State
Do we still have doubt that our politician are not only shameless they are cheap too ? Mr. Navqi has crossed all his limits and this shameless guy is hoping to winning next election. Is that to this these days we got independence from british ? Please think.....
BothCongressparties indulged sectorian marathi politics in Maharastra now country has to pay a heavy price for it by puting incompitent politicians in forefront.Terrorists took advantage of it.Samething had happened in Assam also
another lame duck chief minister
it is a mere co incidence or curse of sadhvi that all those investigating her and co accused are either dead or out of power.wheel of nature grinds our karma slowly but surely. we are paying price for electing and tolerating government by madam manmohan singh.dr.sonia gandhi is prime minister without being answerable to us. those who are ruling must face reality otherwise reality without fail will come and stand in front of them.jai hind shaurya
Instead of removing Mr.Patil, RR Patil and Deshmukh, why dont Sonia gandhi quits and also asks her son Rahul to quit AICC keeping in mind moral responsibility. What does Sonia gandhi knows so that she can control a government of a big democratic country? I feel pity for all senior congress leaders who lick sonia gandhi's feet. Manmohan should quit if can't go to bed without Sonia Gandhi's permission.
India will come together to give expression to the anger and anguish on Wednesday, 3rdDecember, 2008, at 6:00 pm. The venues are as follows: Mumbai at the Gateway of IndiaDelhi will meet at the Central Park, Connaught PlaceHyderabad is meeting at Tank Bund, TelugutalliChennai will meet at Opposite Government Guest House, Behind M.A. Chidambaram Cricket StadiumBangalore at Cubbon ParkKolkata at the Maidan
Now this is politics. Its so easy in here. All you need to do is resign and run away from the responsiblities. I always believed that these politicians used resignations as an escape route. When it gets too hot all you need to say is I'm willing to stepdown. Now thats it he lays low for a while and then gets another ministry or position.Negligence is a crime even when you are driving on the roads and it should be treated as treason when you are driving a government.I'm of the opinion, all the top politicians and bureaucrats should be tried in court for this. If found guilty of negligence they should be punished accordingly.I hope some day the law in our country risies above the politics and politicians.GOD bless my country.
I have been a fully paying customer of the Taj Mahal Hotel for over a decade. When 9/11 happened in the US, the Corporate and Private Sector INCLUDING HOTELS took responsibility themselves and invested heavily in their OWN offices to ensure protection of their employees/ staff and clients visiting those premises. Obviously the Tata Group will also have to answer some very very serios questions. What investment did they do to safe guard the lives of paying customers / their own employees and staff ( after all the hotel was their office ) and visitors to their hotel ? In the west I cannot even access my office table without swiping my security card on the lift / OR on the door of the floor - leave alone enter the kitchen which is heavily bound by security buttons and is again security coded. How did the terrorists access the kitchen ? why was it so easily accessable - what about Corporate Social Responsibilty ? PLEASE ANSWER - ITS A GLARING FAILURE AND INCOMPETENCY BY THE TATA'S
This nothing but a drama. UPA itself is a government of muslim terrorists. Islamic terrorists friendly UPA government should resign.
OUR INDIAN POLITICAL LEADERS HAVE NO SHAME AT ALL.. THE CHEAP ROAD SIDE PROSTITUE HAVE SOME SHAME BUT WHAT TO SAY THE WAY OUR POLICITICAN MAKE STATEMENT LIKE R.R. PATIL AND NAQVI. WE SHOULD REMOVE ALL THESE DIRTY POLITICAL LEADERS SO THAT WE COMMON PEOPLE HAVE PEACE.
We cry foul and blame the politicians but forget everything when it comes to cast our votes. Govt is a reflection of people. Everyone here in the forum talks big but the voter turn out is very low in elections.So GO AND VOTE. Otherwise live with what others elected for you
Maharashtra Security Guards in 4 months? Is this idiot joking? It takes years to create an agency like NSG. Vilasrao, whether in power or out of it will have his MSG with Congrss Seva Dal apprentices, junior film artists led by Ritesh and his new found lover boy Raj's mansainiks.
hello, i truly enjoyed reading your article. it was very good. congratulations. mr shinde will no doubt be a competent successor but the real winner will be in my opinion gujarat chief minister mr narendra modi. he is likely to reveal that he calls the shots as a prime ministerial candidate. he is likely to hijack the national agenda and may reach a deal with mayavati too. if the combine manages to garner enough votes, we might see a deputy prime minister in mayavati with a lot of fragmented parties to give it support. the congress monolith and domination is surely at an end. i read with interest your political reporting and i truly enjoy reading the political columns of tie. i hope that you will feature international politics too with as much colour and as much taste. i hope that you will make them local though global. thank you once again and itrust that i will write to you if i find the articles truly interesting. take care
Was RGV having Tea or went shopping at Taj after the brutal attack by terrorist? Can someone please ask him.. and was Ritesh Deshmukh offering some cleaning service that they just happened to be there
Remember that few weeks ago Maharashtrians attacked the followers of Abu Azmi, Amitabh Bacchan, Mulayam Singh and Lallu Prasad in Mumbai. It is well known that minorities support them since they are secular. Police and intelligence must also investigate this angle, that Lallu, Mulayam, Amar Singh, Amitabh Bachchan and family, Abu Azmi, and others who have wide ranging contacts internationally to protect the Muslims were part of current Mumbai violence. Remember that the railway police in CST chose to hide rather than confront the shooters, and the Railway Police bharti has been personally done by Lallu. Lallu is a personal best friend of the Pakistani army generals, and Musharraf had given him a big medal too. And muslim localties in Bihar are celebrating with crackers and sweets for this victory of Lallu.
Birth number of Shinde is 4.He is now 67 years old(6 7=13,1=3=4).This is a significant period for him.
Almost all the politician are like barking dogs when there is any thing to the country they will hide in the holes like rat. When there is nothing they want to play with the innocent people of India. Either with religion or state language issue. And some of them want to take the advantage of the terror attack they appreared to the media after the thing happened like hero. National politics is different than international. If all the leader sincerely stand in front of the mirror and ask themselves whether really they are serving to India or indian people? They are the judges of their enternal power.
Desmukh is going is GOOD but if he is replaced by Shinde then it is worst than that. Mr. Shinde is really a usless and highly nonperforming perso. before too he was CM but did not do any thing. anybody know that he is Power minister. Do i need to tell you state of power supply in state. i think more than two years before, walk the talk programme he said Dabhol power plant will start working to its full capacity in maxi six month and we know where we are today
Mr. Shinde is having only one qualification that he is most obedient to Madam Sonia. Otherwise, he was a flop leader. He him self was lost in a bye election and his spouse also lost in bye election to Lok Sabha. Earlier, as Chief Minister,his performance was a big zero. To save his pride and being loyalist, he is a handpicked person by Madam to the present post.
friends its really a great day today as these two tom
Sir;Let us hope that a non-performer is not replaced by a person called Mr. Narayan Rane. But then you never know the Congress and its high command culture. Here is a party that admits rabid and committed communalists like Sanjay Nirupam,Narayan Rane, Chagan Bhujbal, etal and claims that they have become secular when blessed by their mighty leader. The way the Congress culture goes, do not be surprised that the Governance of the state is handed over to mediocrity or even less.