A decision on the fate of Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan could be taken on November 8. This is because the Congress high command does not want the Opposition to make this an issue in the Winter Session of Parliament beginning on November 9.

A decision in this regard could have been delayed if there was no session, UPA sources said.
The alleged irregularities related to the Commonwealth Games does not appear as big an issue for the moment as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has already constituted a committee to look into it and other investigative agencies have started work, it was pointed out.
If Congress insiders are to be believed, Mr Chavan told some central leaders that only one television channel was running a campaign against him. The chief minister has to an extent succeeded in diverting the focus on him by dragging in over a dozen leaders, including Union ministers Sushilkumar Shinde and Vilasrao Deshmukh. But sources said the current mood in the party was to accept Mr Chavan’s offer of resignation — particularly as Congress president Sonia Gandhi is said to be very sensitive about the Kargil link. “A decision will be taken after November 8. We do not want to spoil anyone’s Diwali,” highly-placed Congress sources said after the AICC meeting ended.
Mr Chavan had offered to resign after his name came up in the Adarsh Housing Society scam. He was seated on the dais with senior party leaders, including Maharashtra PCC president Manikrao Thakre, who is himself embroiled in a controversy over collection of funds for Mrs Sonia Gandhi’s recent rally in Wardha. Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who is also a former Maharashtra chief minister, was also on the dais.
The NCP, the Congress’ alliance partner in Maharashtra, said it would continue to support the coalition government in the state even if there was a change of guard in the Congress in the wake of the Adarsh Housing Society scam. “We have a coalition government in Maharashtra with the Congress. A decision has to be taken by them alone. As far as the NCP is concerned, we fully support the Congress-led government,” minister of state for civil aviation and senior NCP leader Praful Patel told reporters on Tuesday. He had been asked about the NCP’s position in the wake of Mr Chavan’s offer to resign.
“We have a formula by which we have been working for the last 10 years in government with the Congress. Therefore, that arrangement continues,” Mr Patel said. “As far as I am aware, there is no communication to the NCP. So why should we assume there is a change of guard. That is for the Congress to decide.”
He refused to comment on the raging Adarsh scam, saying he would do so only after a proper inquiry, but made it clear his party would not support any wrongdoer. “As far as the NCP is concerned, in government nobody supports any scam. Let there be a proper inquiry. Once (it) is complete, we will comment.”
Mr Patel went on to add: “Why this scam, (there is) no question of the NCP supporting any scam. The question is — what is the level of wrongdoing committed. Mr Pranab Mukherjee and Mr (A.K.) Antony are looking into the papers... Besides, the inquiry is going on at various levels. So let’s wait for the reports. Why should we jump to conclusions?”