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Joshi's replacement does not faze Congress

The change in leadership of the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance government in Maharashtra will not mar the prospects of the Congress in the assembly election next year, state unit president Pratap Bhosale said in Bombay on Monday.

Talking to reporters at Gandhi Bhavan, Bhosale said the Narayan Rane-led ministry will just add to the state's cup of woes.

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief strongly disagreed with Shiv Sena leader Bal Thackeray's comment that the change of guard was mainly to counter the Congress. "This may not be a good thought," he remarked.

Asked whether he stood by his statement in the latest issue of Shidori, the Congress mouthpiece, that the party would win more than 200 seats in the assembly election, Bhosale claimed they would win more seats than that with the new ministry taking charge.

He said playing casteist politics was not in the state's tradition. Former chief ministers Vasant Naik and A R Antulay received support from their colleagues not because they belonged to the backward class or minorities but because of their abilities.

Similarly, Bhosale said, Manohar Joshi was criticised by the Congress not because he was a Brahmin but because of his performance and the Sena's policies.

Asked why the Congress boycotted Rane's swearing-in, Bhosale said, "We just did not feel like going."

He blamed a "clash of timings" for two delegations of the Congress -- one led by leaders of the Opposition in the legislature Madhukar Pichad and Chhagan Bhujbal, and the other by himself -- meeting Governor P C Alexander on Sunday to urge him to ascertain if Rane has majority support in the assembly.

He expressed satisfaction at the governor's decision to ask Rane to prove his majority in the House within 21 days. He said the Congress is ready to face an election anytime.

He said the MPCC would be revamped within two or three days to provide adequate representation to members of the other backward classes, scheduled tribes and women.

UNI

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