Sonia’s call comes days after Deshmukh finished with the high-profile wedding of his son Amit, which his critics in the party say was the lease of life the beleaguered Chief Minister had sought from 10 Janpath.

However, with the Budget session of the Assembly due to start on March 10, now may not be an opportune time to consider naming a new chief minister, his supporters counter.

Officially, Deshmukh will be in Delhi for a meeting with the Planning Commission and the occasion is to be used by party leaders to discuss state politics with him and Rau.

“It could just be a meeting to discuss the forthcoming nominations to the Legislative Council and the Rajya Sabha,” a senior Congress leader said. “But there is the possibility of organisational changes being discussed. The high command may even think of replacing Rau with someone like Sushilkumar Shinde in the run-up to next year’s polls.”

The party would prefer to face the polls with either the MPCC chief or the Chief Minister being a Dalit, especially in view of the BSP making inroads in the state, the leader said.

The timing of the decision would also depend on whether the party wanted to go in for mid-term polls to cash in on the populist Union Budget proposals. Any such plan would mean status quo in the party and the Government.

“It is a common feeling among the party’s ranks and file that the NCP has projected Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar as the messiah of farmers over waiver of loans worth Rs 60,000 crore, thereby marginalising the Congress,” the leader pointed out.

On the other hand, the lack of prompt decisions and unified action has meant that the Congress has failed to claim enough credit on the issue.

The Maharashtra Congress is a divided house and the anti-Deshmukh camp — which includes Revenue Minister Narayan Rane, MPCC chief Rau and AICC in-charge of state affairs Margaret Alva — has accused the Government of doing too little and too late on major issues.

While Rane went public with his revolt, blaming Deshmukh for running the Government as a personal fiefdom, Rau had constituted seven fact-finding panels to study vital issues. Most of these panels headed by partymen had criticised the Government for “mishandling” issues such as malnutrition.

However, the Chief Minister’s camp remains confident that he would be allowed to complete his tenure and if at all the high command wants change, it would replace Rau and not Deshmukh.

“The Government is doing a lot of things for the people, but the party does not reach out to the masses on such issues,” said a senior leader from the Deshmukh camp.