Deshmukh's successor to be announced today

The Congress party has finally accepted the resignation of Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh following last week’s terrorist attacks, and a decision of his replacement will be taken today.

Senior Congress leader and Defence Minister AK Antony, who is also the in charge of party’s Maharashtra affairs, briefed media persons Wednesday evening after a series of meetings between some of the top leaders of Congress and NCP.

'Party observers will go to Maharashtra tomorrow (Thursday) to decide on the next chief minister,' Antony said.

Party sources said on late Wednesday night that Antony and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee would visit Mumbai Thursday to discuss the successor issue with party legislatures before the announcement of new chief minister’s name.

Meanwhile, the Congress leaders are also consulting ruling alliance partner Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) to reach any kind of general consensus over the names of new chief minister and deputy chief minister.

Reportedly, NCP has given in accord the name of central Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde or intransigent state Revenue Minister Narayan Rane as chief minister.

Deshmukh was under pressure to quit in the wake of Nov 26 Mumbai terror incident, especially after the resignation of Union home minister Shivraj Patil and Maharashtra deputy chief minister RR Patil, owing moral responsibility for government’s failure to prevent the terrorist strike.