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ShareMumbai: Union heavy industries minister and former chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Saturday reiterated that he would like to come back as chief minister of Maharashtra and he was sure that his party will gain majority in the forthcoming assembly election.
"Even though I am a minister in the central government, I am neither a member of the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha. I still continue to be a member of the state assembly. The electoral poll trends sustain for at least six months. This means, following the Lok Sabha, the Congress is going to achieve majority and in such a scenario, I am a strong contender for the top post," said Deshmukh.
On Saturday, Vilasrao Deshmukh handed over the Marathwada Bhushan award, instituted by the Marathwada Lokvikas Manch, to BJP leader Gopinath Munde. Both the veterans, leaders and friends for years, enjoyed pulling each other's leg and passing witty remarks in context of the political developments.
In his thanksgiving speech, Munde said that the timing of his being chosen as an MP from the state has gone wrong as his party has strong chances of coming to power. "In such a scenario, I would be the fair choice for the top most post," he said.
While rubbishing Munde's claim to hold the top post in the state in future, Vilasrao Deshmukh said if Munde comes back to the state, it would be disrespect to the voters who made him the MP with the highest votes from Maharashtra. "I see a better prospect for Munde in Delhi and even if he wants to come back to the state, the ideal post for him would be as the Opposition leader," he said.
Incidentally, chief minister Ashok Chavan, who was the chief guest at the function, kept away. He drew criticism from the organisers as well as his predecessor.
