Deshmukh says no rule only MLA could be the CM

Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Thursday appeared to be throwing his hat in the ring for Chief Ministership, saying there was no hard and fast rule in Congress that only an MLA could be elected to the post.

Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on Thursday appeared to be throwing his hat in the ring for Chief Ministership, saying there was no hard and fast rule in Congress that only an MLA could be elected to the post.

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"There is no hard and fast rule in Congress that only an MLA could be the chief minister," he told PTI.

Deshmukh, who was the second longest serving Chief Minister of Maharashtra after the late Vasantrao Naik, however, said that it was for the party MLAs and the high command to decide whether who should be the CM.

In reply to a question on whether he would like to complete his "unfulfilled task" as CM, he said it was for the high command to decide.

Deshmukh was replaced by Ashok Chavan as Chief Minister last year in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai terror strike.

The Congress has done well in Maharashtra in both the Lok Sabha elections held earlier this year as also assembly polls under the leadership of Chavan as CM.

In reply to a query, Deshmukh attributed the victory to the teamwork in Maharashtra Congress.

Deshmukh, who had been heading the high power election management committee was one of the most sought after campaigners in the assembly polls.

His son Amit was the party nominee from Latur, his pocketburrow. Deshmukh is a Rajya Sabha member who was made the Cabinet minister after the Lok Sabha elections.