Only one Maharashtra CM completed term
Barring the late V.P. Naik, no Maharashtra chief minister has remained in office for a full term since 1960. The state had a one-party rule till 1995 with an exception of the Progressive Democratic Front government headed by Mr Sharad Pawar between July 1978 and February 1980.
Maharashtra has so far had 21 chief ministers since its formation in 1960. A 22nd chief minister, Mr Prithviraj Chavan, will be taking oath on Thursday. But the political stability or the Congress rule did not help chief ministers to complete a full term in office because of different reasons, including scams, irregularities and favouritism.
V.P. Naik remained chief minister for nearly 12 years without a break. He became chief minister on December 5, 1963 and ruled the state till February 20, 1975. But after that nobody could break his record. After him, Union minister Vilasrao Deshmukh got the longest tenure — from October 18, 19999 to January 16, 2003 and from November 1, 2004 to December 8, 2008. But he too could not get a full term.
The late Y.B. Chavan was the architect of modern Maharashtra. But he remained the chief minister from May 1, 1960 to November 19, 1962. After him, the late Marotrao Kannamwar got one year (November 20, 1962 to November 24, 1063) in office. The late S.B. Chavan, father of Mr Ashok Chavan, became chief minister on February 21, 1975 and remained in office till April 6, 1977. He got another two years (March 12, 1986 to June 26, 1088). But neither he nor the late Vasantdada Patil (April 17, 1977 to July 18, 1978 and February 2, 1983 to June 1, 1985) remained in office for full five years. Vasantdada had to quit in protest of the Congress high command which kept him in the dark in appointing the late Prabha Rau as the PCC chief in 1985.
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