Wary of image, Congress dumps Ashok Chavan

Desperate to protect its image, the Congress has washed its hands of former chief minister (CM) Ashok Chavan. The party’s top leadership on Wednesday indicated that the leader will have to fight his own battle in court. The CBI in its FIR in the Adarsh housing society scandal has named Chavan as one of the accused.

“The Adarsh matter is being probed by the CBI and pursued in the court. There is no question of the Congress, either at the Centre or the state, issuing any directive at this point. The party believes in transparency and would not like to interfere in the working of any institutions,” Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Manikrao Thakre said.

Highly-placed sources in the Congress said any attempt from the state leaders to support Chavan would go against the Centre, which took a decision to remove him as chief minister three months ago, even before the CBI registered an FIR against him.”The party wants to send across the message that the law must take its own course,” the sources said.

Interestingly, the party was contemplating a political rehabilitation of Chavan by accommodating him in the Rajya Sabha in case he was not named in the FIR. “It is very difficult to openly support him after the FIR. We cannot hand him any official position,” the sources said.

The state Congress had earlier divested Kanhaiyalal Gidwani, also an accused in the Adarsh scandal, of his charge as the Congress spokesperson. The developments have left the NCP worried. “Chavan is the first CM against whom an FIR has been filed. It does not auger well for the image of state,” an NCP leader said.