Anil Deshmukh to appear before ED on June 29, MVA tense

Former Maharashtra home minister and senior NCP leader Anil Deshmukh will appear before the Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday even as the Maha Vikas Aghadi camp was abuzz with activities and appeared tense.

Deshmukh is a close aide of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar and he had to resign from the Uddhav Thackeray-led tri-party alliance government involving Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress following charges of corruption and misconduct.

The ED last week arrested Deshmukh's personal secretary Sanjeev Palande and personal assistant Kundan Shinde.

Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Raut, who played a key role in the formation of the MVA government keeping BJP out of power, separately met Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and Pawar, on Monday.

What transpired in these meetings is not in the public domain.

However, with the Monsoon Session just few days away on July 5-6, the MVA is not taking any chances.

The Congress is unhappy as the post of Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly has been vacant since the resignation of Nana Patole, who has taken over as state Congress chief.
Patole's stand of going solo in the future local bodies, Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha polls has not gone down well in the Shiv Sena and NCP.

Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik, who is also facing an ED investigation, had written to Thackeray to reconcile with BJP and go with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Pratap Sarnaik is a valued Shiv Sainik...he is being pressurised," said Raut, adding that senior party leaders have held discussions with him.

On Sunday, Pawar had said that the MVA government was formed on a common minimum programme and it would last its full five-year term.

It needs to be mentioned that the Budget Session was stormy and the MVA government just managed to sail out.

Just ahead of the Budget Session, forest minister Sanjay Rathod of Shiv Sena had to resign and just after it Deshmukh, who is now facing an FIR from CBI.

Thackeray's close aide and state transport minister Anil Parab is now facing heat from the opposition BJP.