Mumbai, July 4
After springing a surprise by offering to name the Bandra Worli Sea Link after former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar is wooing Vilasrao Deshmukh, his archenemy in the Congress party.
On Friday, Deshmukh announced his candidature for the post of vice-president of the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) as a member of Sharad Pawar's panel. Deshmukh's entry in the fray on Pawar's side took political observers by surprise since he had been vigorously campaigning for the Congress to break away from the NCP during the forthcoming Assembly elections in Maharashtra.
Sharing space with Deshmukh on Pawar's panel is former captain and selector Dilip Vengsarkar who has not bothered to hide his affections for the Shiv Sena.
Endorsing Deshmukh's candidature, Hemant Waingankar, another member of Pawar's panel, told reporters that all of them would wholeheartedly support the Congress leader. However, Deshmukh himself appeared uncomfortable after being queried about his new found closeness to his old foe. "I am an Independent candidate," he said. Deshmukh, however, added that he would take the help of the Pawar camp if required.
Interestingly, members of the ruling group said Deshmukh, a senior Congress leader, was part of the panel headed by the National Congress Party’s Sharad Pawar. “He is very much a part of our panel and has our full support,” said Hemant Waingankar, who is contesting for the post of joint secretary from the Pawar camp.
The enmity between Pawar and Deshmukh dates back to the early 1990s when the former returned to Maharashtra as Chief Minister following the post-Babri Masjid demolition riots. Both fell out and Pawar had Deshmukh expelled from the Congress. Deshmukh returned only in 1999 when Pawar broke away to form the NCP.
Their rivalry got worse when Deshmukh was forced to resign as Chief Minister following the terror attacks in Mumbai on November last. However, the NCP's poor showing in the last Lok Sabha poll and the party's loss in strongholds like western Maharashtra has made Pawar desperate, say political observers.
On his part, Vilasrao Deshmukh has indicated his readiness to return as Maharashtra's Chief Minister. Both Pawar and Deshmukh are said to be worried about the growing clout of present Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, who has emerged as an adept political player during just a few months in office.
