Some people prefer nation over party: CM

Mumbai, Jul 26 (UNI) Maharashtra chief minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who is said to have played a vital role in bringing in two MPs to the UPA bandwagon during the Trust vote in Parliament on July 22, today said some people preferred national interest over their party's interest.

According to political circles, Mr Deshmukh was instrumental in bringing Tukaram Renge-Patil of Shiv Sena and Haribhau Rathod of BJP in the UPA fold.

Mr Deshmukh was talking to reporters on the last day of the monsoon session and was accompanied by Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, parliamentary affairs minister Harshwardhan Patil and minister of State for Urban Development Rajesh Tope.

When asked, whether the MPs approached him or he approached them, he said, ''We both got connected and understood each other mutually.'' Replying to a question regarding 70:30 percentile system for admission, Mr Deshmukh said this system is good for the admission process.

To another question, the Chief Minister said he had asked district collectors to meet Kalawati, the woman whom Rahul Gandhi met during his visit to Vidarbha and mentioned about her in his speech on Trust vote, and find out the accuracy of the news reports appearing in a section of the media that she was also threatening to commit suicide like her husband.

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