Mumbai:
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal will be the Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister.
Bhujbal, who was also the outgoing Deputy CM, was elected by NCP MLAs in Mumbai on Monday as their leader in the Assembly.
The NCP leader has said that his party would want a 50-50 portfolio formula with Congress in the Cabinet.
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, who had been appointed as an observer to oversee the process of electing the leader, announced Bhujbal's name as leader of the NCP legislative party on Monday evening. He said the MLAs had asked party chief, Sharad Pawar, to appoint the leader, but he in turn asked them to do so.
Earlier in the day, the NCP MLAs passed a resolution leaving the choice of deputy chief minister in the Congress-NCP government to Pawar.
Though it is expected that the leader of the party in House will also be the Deputy CM, Bhujbal was circumspect after his name was announced: "At this point I am the leader of the legislative party. Nothing more."
He did say though in response to questions that: "If we form this government, then I would be the Deputy CM. We have not received any proposal from the Congress so far...The old portfolio formula should continue... Of course, we will support the Congress government."
Interestingly, senior leader and Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar, considered a frontrunner for the post till this morning, was not present at the Press conference. Praful Patel, however, sought to clear the air by saying that Ajit Pawar had been present at the party meetings. "There is no dispute", he said.
Ajit Pawar admitted only on Monday morning that he was in the race for the post. But he also said there were other contenders, including Bhujbal. Pawar was the Water Resources Minister in the outgoing Assembly, is a five-time MLA, and is considered a good administrator.
Bhujbal is among the few OBC leaders in a party dominated by Marathas, has a son who is an MLA, a nephew who is an MP. But he lay low for a few years after being named in the Telgi scam, though no charges were brought against him.
There was speculation that the party would pick a Maratha leader as Deputy CM this time around, with Ajit Pawar's name in the front.
Bhujbal, 62, represents the Yevla constituency. He began his career with the Shiv Sena, but quit in 1991 to join the Congress. When Sharad Pawar split from the Congress to form the NCP, Bhujbal went along.
Immediately after it was clear on Thursday last that the Congress-NCP combine would form government again in Maharashtra and even before all results were in, Bhujbal made headlines by suggesting that the two parties rotate the chief minister's post, much like the Congress did in Jammu and Kashmir. Senior partner Congress rejected that outright.
Bhujbal, who was also the outgoing Deputy CM, was elected by NCP MLAs in Mumbai on Monday as their leader in the Assembly.
The NCP leader has said that his party would want a 50-50 portfolio formula with Congress in the Cabinet.
Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel, who had been appointed as an observer to oversee the process of electing the leader, announced Bhujbal's name as leader of the NCP legislative party on Monday evening. He said the MLAs had asked party chief, Sharad Pawar, to appoint the leader, but he in turn asked them to do so.
Earlier in the day, the NCP MLAs passed a resolution leaving the choice of deputy chief minister in the Congress-NCP government to Pawar.
Though it is expected that the leader of the party in House will also be the Deputy CM, Bhujbal was circumspect after his name was announced: "At this point I am the leader of the legislative party. Nothing more."
He did say though in response to questions that: "If we form this government, then I would be the Deputy CM. We have not received any proposal from the Congress so far...The old portfolio formula should continue... Of course, we will support the Congress government."
Interestingly, senior leader and Sharad Pawar's nephew Ajit Pawar, considered a frontrunner for the post till this morning, was not present at the Press conference. Praful Patel, however, sought to clear the air by saying that Ajit Pawar had been present at the party meetings. "There is no dispute", he said.
Ajit Pawar admitted only on Monday morning that he was in the race for the post. But he also said there were other contenders, including Bhujbal. Pawar was the Water Resources Minister in the outgoing Assembly, is a five-time MLA, and is considered a good administrator.
Bhujbal is among the few OBC leaders in a party dominated by Marathas, has a son who is an MLA, a nephew who is an MP. But he lay low for a few years after being named in the Telgi scam, though no charges were brought against him.
There was speculation that the party would pick a Maratha leader as Deputy CM this time around, with Ajit Pawar's name in the front.
Bhujbal, 62, represents the Yevla constituency. He began his career with the Shiv Sena, but quit in 1991 to join the Congress. When Sharad Pawar split from the Congress to form the NCP, Bhujbal went along.
Immediately after it was clear on Thursday last that the Congress-NCP combine would form government again in Maharashtra and even before all results were in, Bhujbal made headlines by suggesting that the two parties rotate the chief minister's post, much like the Congress did in Jammu and Kashmir. Senior partner Congress rejected that outright.
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