Beleaguered Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Tuesday refuted the charge that his reported proximity with NCP president Sharad Pawar, whose party is the main partner of the ruling front, was responsible for the possible change of guard in the state.

"It is not true. I have opposed and prevailed on the NCP on crucial issues like conducting a judicial probe into the Enron controversy. But I cannot pick up a fight every now and then as it is our ally," the chief minister told reporters at his official residence in Mumbai.

Deshmukh presided over some official meetings and met most of the Democratic Front ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal.

The chief minister said AICC observers, coming to Mumbai on Wednesday to meet Congress legislators and assess their views on the performance of the coalition government, would also elicit the views of smaller constituents of the alliance.

"The AICC observers will meet R S Gavai (RPI), Nihal Ahmed (Janata Dal-Secular) and N D Patil (Peasants and Workers Party) apart from the independents," Deshmukh said.

A three-member AICC delegation would be led by Vayalar Ravi and comprise Pranab Mukherjee and Ghulam Nabi Azad.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Sushil Kumar Shinde, who is currently the frontrunner in the race for a successor to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, ducked questions on the issue saying he had not discussed the political situation in Maharashtra with Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

The senior dalit leader's reluctance is understandable since his name had cropped up half a dozen times in the last two decades for the top executive post, and if Shinde finally makes it to the post this time, he would be Maharashtra's first dalit chief minister.

More reports from Maharashtra