"I seek the cooperation and support of all and I promise that I will do my best to give leadership to the state, an eminent state in the country," Chavan said, adding that he would be leaving for Mumbai by Wednesday evening.

The man from Karad

A central minister, the Berkeley-educated Chavan, has never been involved with state-level politics and is perceived to be comfortable with his sinecure at the PMO in Delhi.

He has won three Lok Sabha elections and his home base in Karad, situated in the heart of western Maharashtra, is a perennial battlefield between the Congress party and Sharad Pawar's NCP. Like a number of 'loyalist' Congressmen, Chavan is staunchly anti-Pawar.

Chavan's track record of opposing Pawar and his aloofness form the numerous squabbling factions of Maharashtra Congress go in his favour.

Though he may not be too well equipped to negotiate the minefield of local politics it is perceived that he may provide the vision to lead an industrially advanced state such as Maharashtra.

Chavan has a BE (Hons.) from BITS, Pilani and also a MS from University of California, Berkeley. He has spent some time working in the field of aircraft instrumentation and designing audio recorders for anti-submarine warfare in the US before returning to India and entering Indian politics.