The sudden decision of Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan to create the Nanded revenue division by bifurcating Aurangabad has brought his two-year- old cold war with predecessor Vilasraro Deshmukh in the open.
The sudden decision of Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan to create the Nanded revenue division by bifurcating Aurangabad has brought his two-year- old cold war with predecessor Vilasraro Deshmukh in the open.
Political observers said this does not bode well for Congress in the state, particular in Marathwada region, where the party's strength has been waning in the last few years.
Aurangabad is the largest revenue division in Marathwada from where both Chavan and Deshmukh hail. Observers feel Chavan, who became Chief Minister last month after Deshmukh was forced to resign in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks, has acted in "haste" disregarding the political price Congress might have to pay for his decision.
Chavan was Industry Minister in Deshmukh's Cabinet.
The proposal for bifurcation of Aurangabad division was pending for long. Also, the issue of where the new division should be headquartered was politically sensitive.
It was the wish of Chavan's father late S B Chavan, a former CM, to have a separate revenue division in Nanded. Neighbouring districts like Latur (Deshmukh's home district) and Parbhani were staking claim for the status, hence the decision had been pending for nearly 20 years.
Marathwada, a backward region in central Maharashtra, comprises eight Lok Sabha and 46 Assembly seats. In the 2004 elections, Congress drew a blank in the Lok Sabha in Marathwada and won only six Assembly seats.
Observers said Chavan is attempting to checkmate Deshmukh and dispelling the impression that he would be a dummy CM since it was his predecessor who threw his lot behind him in the Chief Ministerial race.
In this tussle, Opposition Shiv Sena-BJP has got an issue on which it can take on the Congress, which is heading the Democratic Front Government in alliance with NCP.
"Ashok Chavan has proved he is his father's son. Even S B Chavan (as CM) would disregard public opinion and didn't think about impact his actions would have on Congress," said BJP MLC Pasha Patel.
If Deshmukh had made Latur the revenue division, it would have sparked the same response in Nanded and other districts of the region, he said.
"During his tenure, he (Deshmukh) should have at least set up a committee headed by a retired judge to decide where the new revenue division should be situated," he added.
Patel said Congress will have to pay a heavy political price in some of the Marathwada districts for the decision.
An all-party panel has been set up in Latur to demand scrapping of the decision. Deshmukh participated in its meeting, the BJP legislator said.
The observers said the actual implementation of the decision on Nanded may get delayed.
"After the notification is issued, suggestions and objections will have to be sought in 30 days.
With the Lok Sabha polls approaching, the code of conduct will make it almost impossible for the government to implement the decision soon."
Proposals of bifurcating 15 districts - Thane, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Pune, Chandrapur, Beed, Buldhana, Raigad, Nanded, Bhandara, Gadchiroli, Nagpur, Yavatmal, Amravati and Latur - are pending before the government.
"Shortage of funds and the politically sensitive nature of where the district headquarters should be situated are causing the delay," the observers added.
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