MUMBAI/ NEWDELHI :(AMN) : Following allegation of corruption on party from different quarters for some time, Congress on Tuesday kicked out Maharshtra Ashok Chavan from chief minister ship of Maharashtra and Suresh Kalmadi from the post of secretary of the Parliamentary Party.
Both the leader have embarrassed the party for quite some time. While Ashok Chavan has been allegedly found involved in the Adrash housing scam in Mumbai, Klamadi reportedly involved in the CWG scams .
Congress High Command decision came just before winter session of Parliament. Party did not want to give chance to opposition to raise the issue.
Congress General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi announced that Chavan has been asked by party chief Sonia Gandhi to step down.
"Pending enquiry, his (Chavan’s) offer of resignation has been accepted. He has been asked to tender his resignation to Governor (K Sankaranarayanan)," he said in a brief statement. Earlier, Kalmadi, who was blamed for the messy preparations for the October Games, was asked to resign.
The Maharashtra Congress Legislative Party will meet at 10 P.M in Mumbai to take a decision on Chavan’s successor.
Senior Ministers Pranab Mukherjee and A K Antony will attend the meeting as central observers.
Among the front-runners for the CM’s post are Union minister Prithviraj Chavan, Maharashtra Agriculture minister Balasaheb Thorat and Union minister Mukul Wasnik.
Maharashtra CM resigns
Maharashtra Governor K Sankaranarayanan has accepted the resignation of State Chief Minister Ashok Chavan. Governor asked him to continue as Acting Chief minister till a decision is taken on the next Chief minister.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi had earlier asked Chavan to submit his resignation to the Governor. The decision to accept the resignation came minutes after an inquiry report on Adarsh society scam was submitted to the Congress President by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Defence Minister A K Antony. Mr Ashok Chavan had last week offered to quit following his alleged role in the scam. It was reported that three of his relatives, including his mother-in-law owned flats in the society which was meant for war widows and veterans.
Meanwhile Ashok Chavan said, his resignation as Maharashtra Chief Minister does not prove his guilt in the Adarsh Housing Society scam. Talking to reporters in Mumbai, he claimed that he was 100 per cent sure that he will come clean on the issue. Chavan said, he resigned because of the Congress party’s moral stand on such issues. He said, he resigned on his own and his resignation has been accepted pending enquiry. The outgoing chief minister said, the government is not involved in the scam.
