Alva: Liquor link

New Delhi, Oct. 4: AICC general secretary Margaret Alva may lose charge of Maharashtra if allegations that money matters were at play when state PCC executive members were appointed turn out to be true.

State Congress chief Prabha Rau will also be under fire as one of the beneficiaries is a liquor baron. Rau’s rivals contend the party constitution does not allow people in the liquor business to be promoted in the hierarchy.

Both Rau and Alva were summoned by Sonia Gandhi last week. The Congress chief has asked Union minister Oscar Fernandes to look into the allegations and report back.

Sources said Fernandes met Rau the day after. Indications are he will meet Alva since she had cleared the names Rau suggested before the executive was formally constituted.

With state rivals stepping up their cry for her scalp, Rau was likely to meet Fernandes again today. Chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh is also believed to be keen to get rid of her.

There are indications Alva might be shunted out when Sonia revamps the AICC team after the chief ministers’ conclave in Chandigarh this week.

Rau and Alva have been at loggerheads with sections of the state unit since the Congress-NCP combine retained power in November.

There is also trouble as the NCP has disapproved of many of their moves, including inducting expelled Shiv Sena rebel Narayan Rane into the party and then into the ministry.