Nagpur: Former MPCC chief Ranjeet Deshmukh has criticised the incumbent president Manikrao Thakre for "engineering" a campaign "to corner" Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.
Deshmukh was speaking to reporters after holding a meeting of prominent Congress leaders on Wednesday.
According to Deshmukh, Thakre had "engineered" a campaign against Chavan by instigating some party MLAs to complain against the Chief Minister for the lack of development in their constituencies.
"Thakre cleverly utilised the letters of these legislators and tried to corner Chavan," Deshmukh alleged.
He further alleged that Thakre was doing so as he was "eyeing the Chief Minister's post".
The senior Congressman supported Chavan for taking "bold" decisions, like the dissolution of board of directors of the Maharashtra State Co-operative Bank, following allegations of irregularities last year. "It was a difficult decision and for this, Chavan deserves compliments," Deshmukh, former Agriculture Minister said.
"Similarly, Chavan dissolved the Congress-ruled Akola Municipal Corporation, which was also facing crisis due to alleged irregularities. Chavan is also handling well the looming drought-like situation in the state," Deshmukh stated.
A delegation of Congress leaders from Vidarbha will soon meet Congress president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi to apprise them the political situation in state, the former MPCC chief said.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, August 02, 2012, 14:51