Will toe High Command's line on Lokpal: Cong CM to Pranab

All the Congress Chief Ministers, except for Sheila Dikshit in Delhi and Ashok Gehlot in Rajasthan, mentioned in their letter that they will go by the decision of the Congress central leadership and UPA government on the issue.

While Dikshit made it clear that she will welcome "whatever be the outcome of the Government of India's views" on the Bill, Gehlot argued for a "much wider" consultations with political parties at the national level on the Bill.

The responses of the Chief Ministers to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the chairman of the Lokpal Bill joint drafting committee, came after he sent letters to them seeking opinion on contentious issues of inclusion of Prime Minister, judiciary and MPs under the ambit of the Lokpal.

"I have carefully considered the matter. As you know, Haryana state is being governed by Congress party which is a national party, having a well defined cadre hierarchy.

"As such, our stand on the issues connected with the draft Lokpal Bill will be same as that of the party at the national level," Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said in the letter.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan also did not give a direct answer to the queries raised by Mukherjee but said the views of the state government will be in confirmity with the central leadership of Congress and NCP.

"I would want to state here that the Congress government of Arunachal Pradesh being an extension of Congress led government at the Centre, holds the same mandate and view on the matter and extends its unequivocal support to any decision that the party High Command will take," Arunachal Chief Minister Jarbom Gamlin said.

Gamlin also said he found it heartening that the Centre has taken up the matter of setting up Lokpal to contain corruption in high places in right "earnest", a move which would have a "historic" impact on future generations.

Kerala Chief Minister Ommen Chandy said he would subscribe to the "views of the All India Congress Committee" but added that, the Lokpal was given "wide powers and hence the Bill is a strong measure to curb corruption as well as maladministration at higher levels of public administration.

"After examining the issues in this regards and considering the fact that my government is headed by the Congress, Government of Goa will concur the approach adopted and decision taken by the Central leadership of the Congress," Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat also echoed others.