The Bombay High Court's rejection of the Governor's prosecution order in the Adarsh scam has brightened Ashok Chavan's chances of getting yet another term as the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) supremo.
The state unit has already completed the election process, authorising the party high command to decide Chavan's fate. However, insiders in the party admit that the court order has come as a major slap on the BJP's face which will have to rework its strategy to target Chavan.
This apart, Chavan was instrumental in organising protests against the BJP-led government in November and December in six revenue divisions, where he travelled extensively. By and large, the party leaders say Chavan had brought factions together to take on the BJP on issues such as farmers plight, lapses in the implementation of crop loan waiver, deteriorating law and order and finances.
Subsequently, the state Congress unit and the state Nationalist Congress Party jointly took out a march and organised a rally at Nagpur on the second day of the winter session on December 12 hinting at an alliance in the run-up to the next Assembly elections slated for 2019.
Further, Chavan's stock soared after Congress won 73 of 81 seats in the Nanded Municipal Corporation, where BJP had made it a prestige issue and cornered him in his home town.
MPCC spokesman Ratnakar Mahajan told DNA," Clearly, Chavan will now strive for the responsibility bestowed upon him with renewed vigour as the Bombay high court has set aside the Governor's sanction to act against him in the Adarsh case. The party's high command is expected to continue with him as the state unit president for another term.''
Newly-anointed All India Congress Committee president Rahul Gandhi is soon expected to take a call in this regard.
Already, the party high command has given a green signal to Chavan to organise a mass contact programme in all 288 Assembly constituencies across the state in January. Chavan had already begun preparations for the same.
The party MPs, legislators, party office bearers will address public rallies, hold protest marches and reach out to voters at the booth level in a bid to further strengthen the party's organisation to take on the BJP.
Congress had won 42 Assembly seats and bagged only two seats in the 2014 elections. Thereafter, the party has been struggling to regain its stronghold and come second in successive elections held for civic and local bodies in the state.
Past protests
Ashok Chavan was instrumental in organising protests against the BJP-led government in November and December in six revenue divisions that he travelled.
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