Amid instability in the ruling Shiv Sena-led coalition Government in Maharashtra, the Congress on Tuesday deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath as AICC observer to the State.
The decision came soon after reports that some Shiv Sena MLAs led by dissident leader Eknath Shinde are camping in Gujarat and could pose a threat to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) Government. "The Congress president has deputed Kamal Nath as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the wake of recent political developments in the state, with immediate effect," said an official communication from the Congress.
Congress shares power with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena in the MVA government in Maharashtra.
On the sidelines of the Maharashtra crisis, the Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel accused the Centre of trying to destabilize his government and claimed that "illegal phone tapping" is being done in the state.
Baghel alleged that those standing with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi are being targeted.
Citing the CBI raids against Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's brother and "illegal phone tapping" in Chhattisgarh, he alleged that the Centre is trying to destabilize state governments run by non-BJP parties.
Baghel made the remarks while talking to reporters during a sit-in in front of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office here to protest against Gandhi's questioning by the central agency in the National Herald case.