Maharashtra Minister resigns

By Our Special Correspondent

MUMBAI, JAN. 8. The Maharashtra Commerce Minister, Mr. Makhram Pawar, nominee of the Bharatiya Republican Paksh-Bahujan Mahasangh in the State Cabinet resigned today, allowing Mr. Prakash Ambedkar, MP, to have the last laugh. Apparently, three MLAs of this party decided to support Mr. Ambedkar and not Mr. Pawar in the war within the party and opted out.

The Chief Minister, Mr. Vilasrao Deshmukh, immediately forwarded the resignation to the Governor, Dr. P. C. Alexander, with political observers crediting the Congress with the sagacity to ensure that its pre-poll alliance with Mr. Ambedkar did not receive a setback. Mr. Ambedkar had lobbied with the Congress in Delhi not to allow Mr. Pawar to retain his post by joining it.

Mr. Pawar, it may be recalled, on being directed by Mr. Ambedkar to resign, did not do so but rebelled and called him a ``fake leader'' and claimed that he himself was the President of the party, fudging quite a few facts.

He convened a meeting of his supporters in Nashik yesterday and took a mandate to ``decide his action on merits''.

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Section  : Other States
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