Congress sources said the fact that opposition did not put up a candidate against Chavan -- deemed to be a greenhorn in the state politics -- was an important pointer that his grip over the state politics was firming up.
Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan's unanimous election to the Legislative Council might help him prove that he is not politically weak, contrary to his detractors' theory, and make him assert himself more, political observers say.
The main opposition Shiv Sena-BJP's decision this week not to field any candidate against Chavan came as a surprise, as the opposition had been consistently targeting him during the recently-concluded budget session, over issues such as central vigilance commissioner appointment and Jaitapur nuclear project.
Congress sources said the fact that opposition did not put up a candidate against Chavan -- deemed to be a greenhorn in the state politics -- was an important pointer that his grip over the state politics was firming up.
Chavan is the fourth chief minister of the state to get elected as a member of the Legislative Council, instead of the assembly; and the second after Shivajirao Patil-Nilangekar to win unopposed.
Sharad Pawar, SB Chavan and Nilangekar-Patil had chosen to enter the legislature as MLC after becoming chief minister.
Sources said that Sena-BJP might have desisted from contesting the by-election against Chavan as it did not have numbers and other parties such as PWP, Samajwadi Party, CPM, Bahujan Vikas Aghadhi and MNS had declared support to Chavan.
The official announcement of Chavan's election is likely on Wednesday, after the last date of withdrawal of nominations.
Chavan, who was a Union minister in the prime minister's office, was sent to Maharashtra after Ashok Chavan had to quit as the chief minister over Adarsh Society scam last year.
Political observers expect that after getting elected to legislature within six months of appointment as CM -- as required by the Constitution -- Chavan is expected to assert himself more within the party, as well as within the coalition government.
The immediate challenge before him would be local bodies -- zilla parishad, panchayat, etc -- elections in the state.
Coalition partners Congress and NCP have said that both would like to face the elections without an alliance. "The results of these elections will be an important verdict on Chavan's leadership," Congress sources said.
The chief minister is also expected to take up the issue of appointment to the posts of Mumbai Congress president and state Congress president with the high command.
He may also fill three vacancies in the council of ministers from Congress's quota, and make appointments to state government-controlled corporations and boards.
Meanwhile, state Congress general secretary Sanjay Dutt, who vacated his council seat to pave way for Chavan, said the unanimous election was an endorsement of the chief minister's policy to take everyone along.
"Congress hopes that cooperation to him from all the parties would continue for important projects," he added.
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