Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan met his top Congress legislators on Thursday to discuss Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's resignation offer.
The Congress has denied that the resignation drama is an NCP ploy to put pressure on the Congress. But Chavan baiters Narayan Rane and Ashok Chavan did not attend the meet.
After Ajit Pawar's resignation offer, reports say pressure has been building on Chavan to be replaced. However, he continues to insist that he enjoys the High Command's confidence.
Chavan says he will decide on accepting Ajit Pawar's resignation after consulting the high command. Ajit Pawar had offered to resign after CNN-IBN reported irregularities in 32 irrigation projects that Ajit Pawar had awarded.
In the first direct attack on Prithviraj Chavan, the NCP had on Wednesday accused him of using the white paper on irrigation to target them.
"When the irrigation minister has already made his presentation, then why has the white paper not been tabled? Why the delay? (Is it) to keep the clouds of suspicion hanging?" said senior NCP leader Jitendra Awhad.
The NCP maintained that it was not on them, but up to the Congress to decide on the whether there would be a leadership change in Maharashtra.
"Whether to recall Prithviraj Chavan to Delhi or change the Chief Minister is up to the Congress," said Sharad Pawar.
Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar has also said that there is no going back on Ajit Pawar's resignation as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Sharad Pawar also told IBN Network that his family was united and there were no differences.
Sharad Pawar said that Ajit Pawar took the decision after speaking to him and that he gave the go ahead to him to resign. He also said that the resignation was Ajit Pawar's personal decision. He also said that there was no need for the other NCP ministers to resign.
This comes even as the NCP legislators passed a single line resolution on Wednesday asking Ajit Pawar to withdraw his resignation. Ajit Pawar supporters in the NCP on Wednesday came out to protest outside the state Assembly building, blaming Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan for the crisis.
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