Amidst reports about the Congress High Command considering a change of guard in Maharashtra, Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh arrived in New Delhi on Thursday to solicit support within the party as also with alliance partner, the NCP.

The beleaguered CM met Margaret Alva, the AICC General Secretary in charge of Maharashtra, and NCP chief Sharad Pawar in an apparent bid to secure their support. Congress President Sonia Gandhi is expected to decide his fate some time this month.

Deshmukh, however, sought to play down his visit saying that he was on a “goodwill” mission to pay courtesy to newly-appointed AICC general secretaries, including Rahul Gandhi. He also brushed off speculation about his removal saying, “I have not heard about it.” The CM added that he would effect state Cabinet reshuffle after the Pitra Paksha is over. Deshmukh also met NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Alva was earlier learnt to have given an adverse report about Deshmukh’s style of functioning to the party High Command, even as his detractors led by Narayan Rane continued to camp in New Delhi to press for his ouster.

Deshmukh had been called to New Delhi to give an explanation to the Congress President twice last month—first to explain the reason for delay in implementing the Srikrishna Commission report on 1992-93 Mumbai riots and then in connection with his controversial remarks questioning the honesty of Vidarbha farmers.