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Considered to be a loyalist of the Gandhi family, Shinde had succeeded Deshmukh towards the end of the tenure of the previous Congress-NCP government in 2003.
Shinde met Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday morning soon after Deshmukh announced that he had offered to quit as Chief Minister at the meeting of the Congress Working Committee on Saturday.
Besides Shinde, the name of Minister of State in PMO Prithviraj Chavan is doing the rounds in party circles as a possible successor to Deshmukh.
When contacted, Shinde refused to comment on the political developments in Maharashtra. "No comments," was his constant refrain to a volley of questions from reporters in New Delhi.
Shinde is talked about as a possible successor as he is known to have a good rapport with leaders of the coalition partner NCP, including its chief Sharad Pawar.
The search for Deshmukh's successor has gained urgency as Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil resigned a day after Shivraj Patil was eased out as Union Home Minister.
Gandhi met Home Minister P Chidambaram, Defence Minister and in-charge of party affairs in Maharashtra A K Antony and senior party leader Ahmed Patel.
"A coalition government is there (in Maharashtra) and we have to consult the allies. Consultations are on. At this point I cannot say anything. I can say something later today or tomorrow," Antony told reporters after the meeting.
Deshmukh in trouble
More political heads rolled on Monday in the aftermath of Mumbai terror attacks with Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh on the way out and his deputy R R Patil submitting his resignation.
"I offered to resign at the CWC meeting (on Saturday) if any responsibility lies on the Chief Minister. Whatever decision the high command and my leader takes, I will abide by it," 63-year-old Deshmukh told a news conference here.
Asked whether he has sent his resignation, he said "I am telling you in very, very simple words. You are intelligent enough to understand."
Deshmukh said Patil, who held the Home portfolio and had come under criticism for his handling of the situation, had sent his resignation which has been accepted and forwarded to Governor S C Jamir.
The continuance of Deshmukh, who has been Chief Minister for over four years, became untenable after the state government came under severe criticism over the last week's terror attacks and Shivraj Patil was eased out of the Union Home Ministry yesterday.
The Chief Minister also faced the flak when he was seen with his actor son Ritesh and filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma during a visit to Hotel Taj yesterday. On his successor, Deshmukh said neither has he discussed this issue with the high command nor has the central leadership told him anything.
Deshmukh also sought to defend Ritesh and Varma accompanying him to Hotel Taj saying he did nothing wrong.
The Chief Minister also announced a slew of measures to strengthen security in the state proposing to set up a unified command for better coordination among security forces.
He also announced that the Maharashtra State Security Guards, on the lines of the National Security Guards, within four months.
A state intelligence training centre would soon become functional in Pune.
On modernisation of police force, he said the state government would set up 24 coastal police stations for better monitoring of the seas.
The state government would also give smart cards to all fishermen, Deshmukh said and requested the Centre to direct other coastal states to follow suit.
The Chief Minister also announced that the government would form a State Security Council to go into matters of security in Maharashtra.
Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil resigns
Maharastra Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, who was in the cross hairs in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks, resigned on Monday.
"I have submitted my resignation letter to Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh. I have gone by my conscience and decided to take this step," Patil said.
Patil on Sunday had met Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and said that he would not resign from his post.
He further said that when Akshardham was attacked, the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi did not resign and when the Parliament was attacked the then Union Home Minister L K Advani did not resign.
"Then why should I resign after the Mumbai attack? What morality is BJP talking about?" Patil questioned.
Meanwhile, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar asked Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh to accept the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil, who has resigned in the wake of the Mumbai terror attacks.
"I have told the Chief Minister to accept the resignation of Patil," Pawar said.
The NCP chief and Agriculture Minister said Patil was feeling "uneasy" since the terror strikes and he had expressed his desire to step down three days back.
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Dear Deshmukh people who are asking you to resign are people with no sense of values. As these incidents keep on happening does it mean that everybody in charge of duties be disposed off. We Indians should shunn the notion of such attitude, I don't understand from where this logic came, asking, forcing people to go out. Even after 9/11, nobody in USA asked bush to step down, infact the public voted him the second time.
R R Patil is just known for making only statements. After any Incident he will just say that enquiry is on and tough measures will be taken against the one who is foung guilty. Till date no action has been taken against anyone. Has any action been taken against MNS people for attack against Indian Citizens on THANE Station.
Dy Chief going out due to conscience reason does not show a leader of stature for the post as he himself has not set precedents of greatness in the past. These are corrupt politicians pandering to selfishness alone. The recent surge in the economy of our country is result of our young generation standing up to the challenges inside
Dear Mr CM.....shame on you for making all those comments about what happened in mumbai....By the way? where was your BUDDY MR... RAJ .....when all this was happening in mumbai..'.oh mumbai is all marathi....and no behari are allowed in mumbai'....well the brave MAJ WHO LAID DOWN HIS LIFE WAS FROM THE BIHAR REGD........DEAR MR . CM AND MR.RAJ THAKERAY....PLEASE TAKE A SWIM IN THE ATLANTIC OCEAN AND NEVER COME BACK.....WE ARE BETTER WITHOUT YOU...THANK YOU...MAY GOD KICK YOUR BUTT AND KEEP YOU IN HELL....CHEERS
Media has exploited the issue and politicians as well. There should be some regulatory authority (new field for corruption) for media which will define what questions to be asked, what not to, what contents to be shown on TV and what not, how close the media should be allowed from the tragic scene bla bla. Media plays 70% role in creating politicians. How can media controversial things for a person/situation? Media should also held responsible and should be punished
Dy Chief going out due to conscience reason does not show a leader of stature for the post as he himself has not set precedents of greatness in the past. These are corrupt politicians pandering to selfishness alone. The recent surge in the economy of our country is result of our young generation standing up to the challenges inside
Mr Deshmukh, have you been sleeping all this time when terror attacks tormented Mumbai? It's more than the terrorists that politicians like you who are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent citizens. On the top of it, you come up with the statement that there were no intelligence reports? This shows how irresponsible a Chief Minister you are. Even after the deaths of so many innocent people, how could you even say that THESE TYPES OF INCIDENTS HAPPEN IN BIG CITIES LIKE MUMBAI. Mr. Deshmukh if you have any shame left in you, step down from the CM's seat which is for a leader and not an incapable looser like you who have robbed the Mumbaikers of their safety and security. You are a shame to the entire state and you don’t deserve to be the CM any longer. We want a leader and not a cheat who is sitting on the CM's seat to enjoy it's benefits. It's because of politicians like you that we have lost the defence brave hearts whom you use as a shield to hide behind in crisis.
Well twisting the lines of Madhur Bhandarkar, "In the world of Politics, you will have to give up more than just CONSCIENCE" and our politicians have given up much much more than that. So please, dont even report when they talk bout conscience.
Whoever the successors are, one hopes that they will take correct preventive steps and waste police resources for 'moral policing' chasing dance bar girls and other harmless targets.
RR Patil need not make much fuss about his conscience, because these things happen in big cities when you under perform.
People of India lets come together n vote for a govt which can protect India n Indians from internal n external threats.We dont need Congress or shiv Seniks as well as the coward Raj Thackrey.
None of congress leader would resign in grace.The entire lot would prefer to stick on and would love if someone sacrifice and they can enjoy power. Congress has sold the people for power. For votes they may negotiate even with LET. Laloo,Amar,Mulayam and paswan who recomended citizenship for bangladeshis will Broker the talks.
This is the ideology of our politicians. Probably Sonia asked him to resign and that is enough. Otherwise I am sure even if 5000 people had died, Patil would have said the same thing that he does not have to resign. Sonia says a thing, big Patil, small Patil all get consciousness.
It is not conscience, it is "con science", the science of conning the citizens perfected into an art form by our spineless politicians
Shiraj PATIL, R R Patil, Pratibha PATIL, Vilasrao DESHMUKH.... have brought DISGRACE to the Great Maraths.
NOT JUST SHIVRAJ PATIL OR R .R. PATIL SHOULD QUIT BUT GOVERNMENT AT DELHI AND MAHARASHTRA SHOULD QUIT. THEY HAVE MADE MOCKERY OF PEOPLE'S SENTIMENTS. MR. R. R. PATIL SAID EARLIER THAT ATTACKE ON MUMBAI IS SMALL INCIDENTS. IN DELHI TOO CONGRESS RAISED DOUBTS THAT BATALA HOUSE ENCOUNTER WAS FAKE.
If only he would have gone away gracefully before being asked to go, his image would have been better. Same holds for the C.M.
You were good for nothing. Now, you run away from responsibilities and compare with other terrorist attacks. It would be better you step down before you are terribly insulted by your own party as it happened in case of Shivraj Patil.
What conscience?