Chavan joins long list of CMs accused of nepotism

Ashok Chavan is not the first chief minister of Maharashtra who might lose his chair because of alleged nepotism.

Ashok Chavan is not the first chief minister of Maharashtra who might lose his chair because of alleged nepotism.

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Congress chief ministers Shivajirao Nilangekar and Vilasrao Deshmukh have had to step down after allegations of nepotism.

Nilangekar, who was chief minister from June 1985 to March 1986, had to resign after his name appeared in a court case, during which the judge remarked that Nilangekar's doctor daughter's marks were increased at his behest.

For Deshmukh, who was serving his second term as chief minister from 2004, the 26/11 terror attacks spelled doom. After the attacks, the chief minister, on one of his inspection tours at the Taj hotel, was seen in the company of film director Ramgopal Varma. Deshmukh's son, actor Riteish, who was also with the chief minister, had invited Varma.

Deshmukh's attempt to salvage the situation by saying that he did not try to mask Varma's presence because the state administration had provided the media with a video recording could not save his position.

Even the state's first non-Congress chief minister, Shiv Sena's Manohar Joshi, was accused of nepotism.

He was asked to step down following allegations of favouring a close relative in lucrative land deals.