No pressure on me from Congress leadership: Chavan

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today said he was not under any pressure from his party high command during the stand-off with ally NCP and reported dissidence within his own ranks.

"I don't know what pressure are you talking about. I was under no pressure from my party leadership," Chavan told reporters here, to a query on whether he was asked to go slow on cases of corruption involving politicians.

"There are some cases being reported in the media and some are sub-judice. There is little a government can do in this. As regards the proposed white paper on irrigation, the department is held by the NCP since 1999. My only intention is to bring about facts of development of irrigation potential so that projects can be prioritised," he said.

He said a white paper was a communication between the government and the people. "There is no question of my going after anybody," he asserted.

On whether he will lead the coalition in the 2014 Assembly elections, Chavan said, "This is too early to say. You will know when time comes."

When asked about the letter against his style of functioning by Congress legislators being given to AICC in-charge of the state Mohan Prakash, Chavan said state unit party chief Manikrao Thakre had shown him the letter yesterday.

"The letter lists about 13 developmental issues and demand to restructure the cabinet. I don't consider the letter as an act of dissidence," he said adding that the legislators want time to discuss the matters raised by them and he would meet them.

He rejected criticism that legislators were unhappy with his style of functioning. "I am in touch with all the legislators," he added.