In an election where corruption and clean governance are major issues, the Congress party fielded former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, an accused in the Adarsh scam, as its candidate from Nanded in Maharashtra.
Mr. Chavan had lobbied hard for the ticket, but there was opposition from a section of the Congress which feared repercussions on the party’s image. The clearest sign of Mr. Chavan’s political resurrection came earlier this month when Mr. Gandhi shared the stage with him at a rally. Ironically, in January, it was Mr. Gandhi who had asked the Maharashtra Cabinet to reconsider its decision to reject the report of the Adarsh Commission of Inquiry which indicted Mr. Chavan. The Cabinet subsequently accepted the report.
Mr. Chavan was replaced as Chief Minister in 2010. He was subsequently charge-sheeted by the CBI. However, in December 2013, Maharashtra Governor K. Sankaranarayanan refused the CBI permission to prosecute him. But the special CBI court has not allowed the agency to remove Mr. Chavan’s name from the charge-sheet.
