MUMBAI :In a move that should silence his detractors, chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has got the central leaderships nod to appoint candidates of his choice to key party posts in the state.

Former state minister for home Manickrao Thakres name has been cleared for the post of Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president.

His chief adversary and revenue minister Narayan Rane was vying for the role after he tendered his resignation last Thursday in Delhi. A demand the AICC has not only turned down but also ensured that Ranes supporter does not become MPCC chief either.

On his part, Deshmukh has decided to bring the curtains down on the Rane chapter by sticking to his staple reaction on the issue: "No comments".

Deshmukh held lengthy deliberations with Congress president Sonia Gandhi and all-India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ahmed Patel on Thursday. The chief minister is also said to have got their approval for a cabinet reshuffle and an expansion.

Former minister Kripa Shankar Singh will be Mumbai Regional Congress Committee (MRCC) president. He will be the north Indian face of the body. Senior dalit MP from the city Eknath Gaikwad will be working president of the MRCC.

Senior AICC officials have confirmed the selection of the candidates. The MRCC presidents post fell vacant following the resignation of Gurudas Kamat (MP) after he completed five years.

To ensure perfect the caste scales are balanced in the MPCC, senior dalit leader Jayant Awale has been picked as working president. He will report to Thakre (Maratha-Kunbhi). The low profile Thakre hails from Vidarbha and is known in the party as a Gandhi family loyalist.

The day was marked with high drama with anti-Deshmukh leaders expressing reservations over Thakres appointment. AICC general secretary incharge of Maharashtra Margaret Alva was furious. The top leaderships silence on Ranes resignation is also a sore point.

Insiders in the Congress revealed that the party did not want to take any action against Rane as it would make him appear a martyr.

In fact they have now put the ball in his court. He has been offered the post of state Congress campaign committee chief. If Rane accepts it, he is sending a message that he is ready to work under a junior leader like Thakre. But if he rejects, it will be left to him to decide whether he wants to withdraw his resignation and return to the cabinet. In any case, its a Catch-22.

Source : MMD English