Ashok Chavan chosen new Maharashtra chief minister

04 December 2008

Ashok Chavan, state industries minister, will replace Vilasrao Deshmukh as the new chief minister of Maharashtra, it has been reliably learnt. An official confirmation is still awaited. 

The name of Ashok Chavan, an MLA from Nanded and son of the late S B Chavan, was finalised at a meeting of senior Congress and NCP leaders on Wednesday.

The decision was made after Congress observers, including external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee and defence minister A K Antony met Congress legislators in Mumbai today.

Union minister Sushil Kumar Shinde as also state politicians like Balasaheb Vikhe Patil,  and Narayan Rane were the other names doing the rounds as likely candidates for the post.

Deshmukh, who was under pressure to quit in the aftermath of the 26 November terrorist attack, was reluctant to put in his papers, even after his deputy and state home minister R R Patil resigned owning moral responsibility for the Mumbai mayhem.

''Deshmukh has been asked to resign,''  Antony, who is in charge of Congress' Maharashtra affairs, said in Delhi yesterday.