Nagpur: In a damage control exercise, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) on August 18 attempted to persuade former Union Minister N K P Salve, who along with senior leader Vasant Sathe quit the Congress over the issue of statehood for Vidarbha, from "taking the extreme step" even as Salve said he was compelled to leave the party for the cause.

State unit Congress chief Ranjit Deshmukh along with Labour Minister Satish Chaturvedi called on Salve at the latter's residence and appealed him not to take the "extreme step".

"We will take up the matter with the party high command. We will first meet Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and AICC (All India Congress Committee) general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Vayalar Ravi," Deshmukh told reporters after his meeting with Salve.

Salve said he has asked the MPCC chief to first discuss the matter with party high command but said he was "not very optimistic about the outcome".

Salve, having over three decades of experience in the Parliament, said state unit Congress leaders wanted him to put on hold his decision to quit the party till November after the Assembly elections to four states get over.

Salve and Sathe had quit the party to form a regional outfit "Vidarbha Congress" on August 17 giving a jolt to Congress in its traditional bastion of Vidarbha.

The overtures made by Congress leaders assume significance in the wake of next year's crucial Assembly elections as damage to the party in Vidarbha, which sends 66 MLAs to the Maharashtra Assembly, could deal a heavy blow to the Congress.

PTI