Newly-inducted Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan's image took a hit today with reports of his being involved in illegal purcahse of property in Mumbai.

Chavan, who has long enjoyed the image of a "clean poltician", bought property in Wadala meant for the economically underprivileged, worth Rs 40 lakh for Rs 4 lakh, according to a report in the Mid Day.

According to the newsdaily, an RTI activist has made the claims saying the CM had falied to mention the property in his affidavit submitted during teh Rajya Sabha elections.

Ironically, Chavan succeeded Ashok Chavan after the latter had to resign following reports of his involvement in the Adarsh Housing Society scam. Rocked by accusations of being a party that harbours the corrupt, the Congress stepped into damage control mode hours before the winter session of Parliament started. After staging Ashok Chavan's exit, party chief Sonia Gandhi had named her close aide Prithiviraj as the maharashtra CM, banking on his clean image to salvage some of the Congress image in the state.

Sonia had gone so far as to tell the media that Prithviraj's choice was her answer to all who had accused the Congress of fostering the corrupt.

Read the complete Mid Day report.