Bhujbal named Deputy CM

MUMBAI, Oct 17 (PTI) — Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Maharashtra unit president Chhagan Bhujbal will be sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister of the state tomorrow following his election as leader of the NCP state legislature party today.

Bhujbal pipped two other NCP leaders, Dr Padmasinh Patil and Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, to the post after a ballot was necessitated in absence of any consensus on the post at a meeting of party legislators here.

Result of the ballot, however, will not be declared, NCP spokesperson Vasant Chavan told reporters.

"Going by the trend of the voting, it was decided to unanimously declare Bhujbal elected as the NCP LP leader," he added.

Accordingly, Bhujbal’s name was proposed by Padmasinh Patil and seconded by Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, Mr Chavan said.

Although he was authorised to elect the new LP leader, party chief Sharad Pawar had left the decision to NCP legislators, Chavan said.

Mr Chavan said four NCP leaders — Bhujbal, Padmasinh, Vijaysinh and Madhukar Pichad — were in fray for the NCP LP leader’s post but Pichad later withdrew from the contest.

He denied that holding secret ballot for choosing the NCP LP leader was indicative of factionalism within the NCP and said, "on the contrary, this demonstrates that we follow democratic norms."

Mr Chavan hinted at the possibility of a jumbo ministry, saying, "unlike the earlier alliance government, where there were only two parties, ours is a government comprising eight parties. So it is but natural that the number of ministers should be more."

AURANGABAD: (UNI) — Maharashtra’s backward region of Marathwada gets a Chief Minister for the fourth time with Mr Vilasrao Deshmukh all set to be sworn in tomorrow.

Former Union Home Minister S.B. Chavan, who belongs to Nanded, was the first Chief Minister from the region, who took oath in February 1975. Mr Shivajirao Patil-Nilangekar, the resident of Nilanga village in Latur district, was the second. The Nilangekar government which took over in June 1985 lasted only a short time as he resigned following the controversy over the university marksheet of his daughter. Mr Chavan became the Chief Minister again for the second time on March 14, 1986.

Mr Vilasrao, who is from Latur district, is the third Chief Minister from the region and the second from Latur district.

MUMBAI, (ANI) — A week of uncertainty in Maharashtra came to an end today with Governor P.C. Alexander appointing Congress leader Vilasrao Deshmukh as Chief Minister of the state.

Maharashtra had voted concurrently for a provincial government along with the parliamentary poll, but the state whose capital is the country’s financial capital, did not have a new government more than a week after the votes were counted because no party got a majority.

The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) and its ally, the Shiv Sena, were 20 seats short of a majority in the 288-member Legislative Assembly.

The opposition Congress led by Italian-born Sonia Gandhi won 75 seats but succeeded after intense negotiations in stitching together an understanding with seven other parties, one of the leaders of the new alliance said.

"The Congress with support from us and six other small parties will have more than 152 legislators and will form the government," Bhujbal said.

Mr Chavan said Chief Minister Designate Vilasrao Deshmukh would convene a meeting of all the coalition partners late in the evening to finalise the council of ministers. Mr Pawar will hold consultations with his party colleagues to discuss the ministry formation and allocation of portfolios in the evening at Mr Bhujbal’s residence.

About 20 ministers including the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Ministers will be sworn in tomorrow, according to Mr Chavan.

Republican Party of India (RPI) faction leader Ramdas Athavale today welcomed the decision of the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to form the government in Maharashtra.

Removal of the Shiv Sena-BJP Government was the need of the hour, he said in a statement, expressing satisfaction that both the Congress and the NCP came together to form the government keeping aside their differences.