`If the CM has the courage, let him sack me' -- Ranjeet Deshmukh

`If the CM has the courage, let him sack me' -- Ranjeet Deshmukh
EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE

MUMBAI, MARCH 8: Agriculture Minister Ranjit Deshmukh is refusing to leave. When Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh asked him to resign to facilitate the cabinet reshuffle, Ranjit Deshmukh flatly said no. He said unless there were instructions from the Congress high command, he would not quit.

Ranjit Deshmukh was on his way to the airport to leave for Pune for an official function this morning when he received a message from the Chief Minister asking him to forward his resignation to Revenue Minister Ashok Chavan.

‘‘I refused to resign, since I have been appointed by the Congress high command. If the Chief Minister has the courage, let him sack me. I am prepared to face that situation,’’ he said.

Ever since he was inducted into the cabinet in October 1999, Ranjit has been at loggerheads with the other Deshmukh. In fact, there were wars of words between the two when Ranjit raised the demand for a separate Vidarbha. Ranjit fought his Chief Minister over the allocation of funds for the backward Vidarbha region, on the strength of bureaucrats and the drastic cut in the administrative expenditure.

Vilasrao Deshmukh had expressed strong displeasure over the style of functioning of Ranjit, saying due cognizance will be taken at appropriate time. Today, he chose to strike.