Deshmukh regretted that despite Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Prataprao Bhonsale expelling 20 MLAs and 9 MLCs, including Madhukarrao Pichad and Chhagan Bhujbal, and requesting Nalawade and Pharande to treat them as unattached members, and as disqualified members in the event of their joining another party, Nalawade and Pharande did not bother to reply. On the other hand, members who should be disqualified under the Anti-Defection Act were rewarded by recognising them as members of a separate group in both the Houses.

``It was unfair on theirpart to keep decisions on earlier matter in abeyance and allow formation of new groups. However, we are still awaiting a reply from the Speaker and the Chairman in this regard and if both of them reject our submission, we will challenge it in the court,'' he said.Deshmukh said, his party was negotiating with Independents' leader in the Council B T Deshmukh for their support. ``We held a couple of meetings with him and he responded well,'' he informed.

Lashing out at Sharad Pawar the senior Congress leader said that as Pawar was having a tacit understanding with the BJP, his party would not get any dividends in the coming elections due to the sagging image of the `communal' party. The `understanding' between both the parties could be gauged from the facts that Pawar and Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pramod Mahajan met several times in the recent past, he alleged.

Deshmukh said, it was good for the Congress that persons, particularly politicians from western Maharashtra, who wereresponsible for the backwardness of Vidarbha, Marathwada and Konkan regions have left the Congress and joined NCP.

The Congress thrust will now be on regional development and exposing exploitation of backward regions by these politicians for their selfish goals. The party will include the regional development issue in its election manifesto in the ensuing elections, he said but ruled out the inclusion of the separate Vidarbha issue.

Deshmukh, a former State Youth Congress chief, is holding a meeting of all former chiefs of Youth Congress in the State Capital, Mumbai, on June 23.