It is not going to be a smooth ride for chief minister Prithviraj Chavan in the byelections for a legislative council seat, with the Shiv Sena-BJP alliance deciding to field a candidate against the CM. The EC issued a notification for the byelection, which is expected to be held on May 5 and the result announced on the same day.

All aspirants of Rajya Sabha membership from the Maharashtra Congress, who were eyeing a seat vacated by Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, are all pretty disappointed. The Congress high command is in favour of giving Mr Chavan’s Rajya Sabha seat to Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Suresh Pachouri. The exercise has now begun in the state Congress to create pressure on the top leaders by using the local versus outsider card.

Bharatiya Janata Party former president Rajnath Singh on Saturday said that his party is ready to face the mid-term polls. Mr Singh, who was in Mumbai, said that the Congress is using the threat of the mid-term polls as a arm twisting tactic to defy the Opposition over the demand of a joint parliamentary committee probe into the 2G spectrum scam.

The BJP will hold a massive public rally in Mumbai on January 16 to demand the formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee to investigate the 2G Spectrum scam. The party’s observer for Maharashtra Mr Venkaiah Naidu made this announcement on Saturday, while he criticised the Congress for trying to sweep the issue under the carpet.

Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Saturday became the latest detractor of AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi for the latter’s alleged Hindu terror remark. Mr Modi, whom Rahul had called “an evil leader” and compared him with Mao Tse-tung, said that the Congress leader was responsible for the US’ support to Pakistan.

The recent notice issued by the Union environment ministry to Lavasa project may start another cold war between Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan and NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

The much-awaited Maharashtra Cabinet expansion took place on Friday with 29 new ministers taking oath. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan also declared portfolios of ministers according to which deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar will be Maharashtra’s new finance minister.

B.S. Yeddyurappa’s days as Karnataka chief minister could be over soon. Sources from the BJP on Thursday said that the Karnataka CM would be asked to resign in few days.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Friday made quite a few Congress leaders nervous indicating that there would be major changes in the state Cabinet. The CM asserted that bitter decisions would be taken irrespective of whether anybody liked it or not.

Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan on Wednesday found an unlikely supporter in MNS chief Raj Thackeray. While Mr Chavan is being cornered by his own party leaders in the Adarsh scam, Mr Thackeray said that there is a conspiracy against the CM.