Bhujbal named as Maharashtra's Dy CM

NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal was today named as Maharashtra's Deputy CM by Sharad Pawar but the picture is still hazy as to whom the Cong would nominate for the CM's post. Special

Prominent OBC leader Chhagan Bhujbal was on Friday named as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra by the Sharad Pawar-led NCP but the picture is still hazy as to whom the Congress would nominate for the chief minister's post.

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"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 RR 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 AK Antony had a meeting with Gandhi this morning and indicated that there could be a decision in the evening.

"We will get back to you in the evening," Antony told reporters.

Last 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.