Minister will face action for contesting against Prez's son: Maharashtra CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Thursday said his ministerial colleague Sunil Deshmukh would face disciplinary action by the party if he contests against Rajendrasingh Shekhawat, son of President Pratibha Patil, in the October 13 assembly elections.

"We will try to persuade him not to contest, but if he does so he would face disciplinary action by the party," Chavan said.

Deshmukh has been representing Amaravti constituency as a Congress candidate for 10 years. He won it in 2004 by over 32,000 votes. He is currently the minister of state for finance and planning in the state government.

Refuting Deshmukh's insinuation that pressure from the President's husband Devisingh Shekhawat, a former legislator from Amaravati, had led to Rajendrasingh getting the ticket from Amaravati, Chavan said, "There was no pressure from any quarter. Rajendrasingh approached the party as an individual and got the ticket."