Senior officials in the Democratic Front have finally revealed details about the precipitating even that triggered off the bitter standoff between NCP and Congress, causing major political turbulence last week. According to senior functionary of the Democratic Front, the growing discontent in NCP reached its nadir when CM Prithviraj Chavan steamrollered a decision for certain appointments of senior cops in Pune.

Sources say that Chavan was keen on the appointment of Gulabrao Pol as the Pune city police commissioner, and went ahead with the appointment even though the NCP camp, Home Minister R R Patil in particular, was keen on another candidate. As per a tacit agreement in place since 1999, crucial appointments in the Pune — including those of police commissioner, divisional commissioner and district collector — are always made on the basis of recommendations from Sharad Pawar and his nephew and Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.