CM: No personal fight with Pawar
Maharshtra chief minister-designate Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday sidestepped a question on whether he was Mr Rahul Gandhi’s choice. “I will not say this. The Congress president asked me. It is a decision of the high command and not one man.”
On whether he has patched up with NCP chief Sharad Pawar, whose party is a major ally in Maharashtra, Mr Chavan said, “There is nothing to patch up. It is not a personal fight.”
Mr Chavan said he had met Mr Pawar, who has extended him best wishes for the new responsibility.
Mr Chavan said his identity as an anti-Sharad Pawar person was not correct. “We have our own party, they have their own party. We are trying to grow on our own as a national party,” he said.
Asked whether there will be a new power-sharing formula for greater coordination, he merely said: “Nothing has been discussed.”
Asked about her message to Maharashtra, Congress president Sonia Gandhi remarked: “The message has already gone.”
Mr Chavan parried questions as to how many ministers would be sworn in with him on Thursday. Mr Chavan said he had not decided whether he would contest elections for the state Assembly or opt for becoming a member of the Legislative Council.
His refrain was that he would take everyone along to provide a good government to the state.
“We have been running a coalition in Maharashtra with NCP since 1999. It is not correct to say (I don’t have good relations with NCP),” he said.
He disagreed with a questioner who asked whether it would be difficult for him to be in state politics since he has been in national politics for a very long time.
“I am confident that I will be able to deliver with the help and cooperation of all,” he said.
Replying to a question, Mr Chavan, who resigned as the minister of state in the PMO, said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has blessed him.
“I have received maximum love and affection from the Prime Minister. I will ever be grateful to him and there is no word to express my gratitude.”
“Being a minister of state in the PMO for the last six years, I have seen from close quarters how a coalition is run. At this important juncture I seek the cooperation and support of all and will do my best to provide leadership to the pre-eminent state,” he said.
Thanking Mrs Sonia Gandhi for choosing him for the “major responsibility”, Mr Chavan said, “I will try to do my best to take Maharastra to greater heights.”
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