Deshmukh overtakes Pawar in ruling Mah

Mumbai, Mar 14 (UNI) Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh has surpassed Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in ruling the state for maximum tenure and is now the second chief minister to have ruled the state for the maximum period.

Late Vasantrao Naik had the honour of ruling the state for 11 years and two months (1963 to 1975), while Mr Deshmukh has ruled the state for six years and seven months and is still going strong. He completed this period in two tenures with the first one from October 18, 1999 to January 17, 2003. Thereafter, he was replaced by Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde. However, Mr Deshmukh was once again chosen as the chief minister on November 1, 2004 and is continuing till date.

Till last month, Mr Pawar was at the second position with a tenure of six and half years. He was the chief minister of Maharashtra for one and half years from July 18, 1978 to February 17, 1980 and later from June 26, 1988 to June 25, 1991 and again from March 9, 1993 to March 15, 1995.

P K, alias Balasaheb Sawant, had the smallest tenure as the chief Minister of 12 days from November 24, 1963 to December 5, 1963.

Manohar Joshi was the first non-Congress chief minister of the state. He was in power from March 14, 1995 to January 31, 1999 (three years and 11 months).

While Mr Deshmukh is in Congress, Mr Pawar is heading his own party the Nationalist Congress Party. However, Mr Deshmukh has maintained good relations with both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Mr Pawar, the Marathi strongman.

UNI JM SR RL RS1750