Sushilkumar Shinde comes out in support of Maharashtra CM

Former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today came out in support of Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, whose leadership credentials have been questioned within Congress and by ally NCP following the party's poor performance in Lok Sabha elections.

"Chavan is an efficient chief minister. It's not advisable to effect changes in government and party on the eve of elections," Shinde said. Describing the crushing defeat of Congress in the Lok Sabha elections as "unfortunate", Shinde, who himself lost elections from his Solapur Lok Sabha seat, spoke to reporters here today at Tilak Bhavan.

He had come there to attend the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) review meeting to analyse the disastrous results of the polls. He said he had suggested setting up of a "fact-finding committee" to look into the reasons for the massive defeat of Congress.