Congress decides to retain Prithviraj Chavan as Maharashtra CM - IBNLive

Mumbai: Ending speculations of a change in leadership in Maharashtra post the deafening defeat of Congress in the Lok Sabha elections, the state party in-charge Mohan Prakash told CNN-IBN on Friday that Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan will continue to hold the top position.

Speaking to CNN-IBN Prakash said, "There will be no change in leadership, Prithviraj Chavan will remain the CM."

Maharashtra was one of the states where the Congress faced its worst ever defeat. During the recent general elections, NCP won four and Congress two of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the worst showing by the two alliance partners. With Assembly elections slated to take place later this year, Congress tightened it noose around Chavan, mulling a change in state leadership.

Congress is also in no mood to make any leadership changes in Haryana. However, the party is yet to take a call on Assam CM Tarun Gogoi.

However, a number of meetings later with party president Sonia Gandhi at 10 Janpath, everything seems to be in place for Chavan. The CM once again met Sonia earlier this week and briefed her on his action plan for the Assembly polls.

Antony Committee which was constituted to give a report on the party's drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls, too, is reported to have given a positive feedback on Chavan, thus helping him to retain the CM's chair.

Congress is also in no mood to make any leadership changes in Haryana, yet another state where it suffered a severe blow during general elections. After the party was reduced to just one Lok Sabha seat in the state, a section of state leaders were opposed to the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda. Like Chavan, Hooda too was engaged in an array of meetings with the party president recently.

The party high command has cleared Hooda too, probably keeping in mind the upcoming Assembly elections in state.

However, the party is yet to take a call on Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi who had offered his resignation after the party's debacle in Lok Sabha polls.