TIMES NEWS NETWORK [ TUESDAY, JUNE 04, 2002 1:27:00 AM ]

MUMBAI: The Democratic Front (DF) government led by Vilasrao Deshmukh
in Maharashtra was pushed to the edge of the political precipice on
Monday, with eight (five of the PWP, two of the CPM and one of the
Bharatiya Republican Party) of the 12 independent MLAs withdrawing
support to the 30-month-old coalition.

Eight independents called on governor P.C.Alexander late in the
evening and informed him of their decision. The DF is now left with
the support of only 145 MLAs in the 288-member legislative assembly,
leaving it with a majority of only one MLA.


With several of its senior activists allegedly involved in the multi-
crore scandals in banks and sugar factories in the cooperative
sector, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday worked hard to
stave off a threat to the DF government.
NCP president Sharad Pawar yielded to pressure from his partymen and
put in motion a damage control operation.


He called national leaders of the CPM and the JD (S), including
Harkishan Singh Surjeet and H.D. Deve Gowda and requested them to
dissuade their units in Maharashtra from toppling the state
government. He pointed out that the saffron alliance would be the
biggest beneficiary, in the eventuality of the fall of the DF
government.


Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and deputy chief minister Chhagan
Bhujbal held discussions with Pawar to chalk out a a strategy.


Meanwhile, the Shiv Sena- BJP leaders kept a close watch. They met at
the residence of the leader of the opposition Narayan Rane of the
Sena. Gopinath Munde and Nitin Gadkari of the BJP were also present.
Said Gadkari, ``We are not in a hurry. Our strategy is to wait and
watch. We will form an alternative government in case this ministry
is toppled due to its internal contradictions.''


The Janata Dal (S) legislative party decided to wait till the
national executive committee meeting of the party scheduled for June
8. Janata Dal general secretary Gopalrao Dukhande said, ``We are in
principle with the PWP. But we will a take final decision only after
consulting our national executive.''
The crisis trigerred off with the reinduction of NCP's Sunil Tatkare
into the ministry.