ID :
34152
Fri, 12/05/2008 - 20:10
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/34152
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NCP names Bhujbal as Dy CM; Cong still undecided on CM
New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) Prominent backward caste leader Chhagan Bhujbal was Friday named as the Deputy Chief Minister of the western Indian state of Maharashtra by the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) but the picture is still hazy as to whom the Congress would nominate for the Chief Minister's post.
"Our state legislature party has decided that Chhagan Bhujbal will be the leader," Pawar said.
Being the leader of the NCP, Bhujbal automatically becomes the Deputy Chief Minister as the party is a major partner in the Congress-led coalition.
Bhujbal succeeds R R Patil, who had quit owning moral responsibility for the Mumbai terror attacks.
The NCP legislature party had met in Mumbai earlier this week and had authorised Pawar to name its leader.
On the Congress's front, there is no clarity as to who would succeed Vilasrao Deshmukh as Chief Minister despite Maharashtra minister Ashok Chavan apparently having an edge over Narayan Rane in the leadership tussle.
Senior Congress leaders Pranab Mukherjee and A K Antony
had a meeting with Gandhi Friday morning and indicated that
there could be a decision in the evening.
"We will get back to you in the evening," Antony told
reporters.
Thursday night in Mumbai, Congress failed to choose a
successor to Deshmukh, who quit in the wake of Mumbai terror
attacks.
61-year-old Bhujbal was the Deputy Chief Minister in the
first Congress-NCP government sworn-in in 1999 but had to quit
after a controversy.
Bhujbal, who belongs to the Mali community, had humble a
beginning as a vegetable vendor. He became a Shiv Sena
activist nearly 40 years back and rose in its ranks with his
oratorial skills to become a close aide to Sena supremo Bal
Thackeray who made him the Mayor of Mumbai.
However, differences cropped up between him and Thackeray
leading to his defection to the Congress in 1993. After Pawar
quit the Congress to form the NCP, Bhujbal joined him.
Recently, the NCP leader took the political circles by
surprise as he withdrew an 11-year-old defamation case filed
by him against Thackeray.
Meanwhile in the Congress camp, Antony and Mukherjee
consulted 97 party leaders, including MLAs, MLCs and associate
members, yesterday to decide on Deshmukh's successor.
Deshmukh and some other ministers of his government are
understood to have thrown their weight behind 50-year-old
Industries Minister Chavan, son of former Chief Minister S B
Chavan.
However, Congress sources said the criteria of
administrative experience and acceptability to the party's
coalition partner NCP chief Sharad Pawar would also come into
play in choosing a new leader.
Revenue Minister Rane, 56, a known detractor of Deshmukh,
has more administrative experience, mainly as a minister in
Shiv Sena-BJP led government. PTI
"Our state legislature party has decided that Chhagan Bhujbal will be the leader," Pawar said.
Being the leader of the NCP, Bhujbal automatically becomes the Deputy Chief Minister as the party is a major partner in the Congress-led coalition.
Bhujbal succeeds R R Patil, who had quit owning moral responsibility for the Mumbai terror attacks.
The NCP legislature party had met in Mumbai earlier this week and had authorised Pawar to name its leader.
On the Congress's front, there is no clarity as to who would succeed Vilasrao Deshmukh as Chief Minister despite Maharashtra minister Ashok Chavan apparently having an edge over Narayan Rane in the leadership tussle.
Senior Congress leaders Pranab Mukherjee and A K Antony
had a meeting with Gandhi Friday morning and indicated that
there could be a decision in the evening.
"We will get back to you in the evening," Antony told
reporters.
Thursday night in Mumbai, Congress failed to choose a
successor to Deshmukh, who quit in the wake of Mumbai terror
attacks.
61-year-old Bhujbal was the Deputy Chief Minister in the
first Congress-NCP government sworn-in in 1999 but had to quit
after a controversy.
Bhujbal, who belongs to the Mali community, had humble a
beginning as a vegetable vendor. He became a Shiv Sena
activist nearly 40 years back and rose in its ranks with his
oratorial skills to become a close aide to Sena supremo Bal
Thackeray who made him the Mayor of Mumbai.
However, differences cropped up between him and Thackeray
leading to his defection to the Congress in 1993. After Pawar
quit the Congress to form the NCP, Bhujbal joined him.
Recently, the NCP leader took the political circles by
surprise as he withdrew an 11-year-old defamation case filed
by him against Thackeray.
Meanwhile in the Congress camp, Antony and Mukherjee
consulted 97 party leaders, including MLAs, MLCs and associate
members, yesterday to decide on Deshmukh's successor.
Deshmukh and some other ministers of his government are
understood to have thrown their weight behind 50-year-old
Industries Minister Chavan, son of former Chief Minister S B
Chavan.
However, Congress sources said the criteria of
administrative experience and acceptability to the party's
coalition partner NCP chief Sharad Pawar would also come into
play in choosing a new leader.
Revenue Minister Rane, 56, a known detractor of Deshmukh,
has more administrative experience, mainly as a minister in
Shiv Sena-BJP led government. PTI
