Mumbai: Maharashtra NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) president R R Patil was today (Oct 29, 2004) elected leader of NCP Legislative Party, official sources said in Mumbai.

Patil will take over as the new Deputy Chief Minister in the DF (Democratic Front) Government.

He was elected as the new Legislative Party leader through a secret ballot, a shift from the routine procedure of deciding the leader through consensus.

NCP legislators were individually summoned by central leaders Tariq Anwar and D P Tripathi, and the deliberations were followed by the secret ballot.

Patil scored over caretaker Deputy Chief Minister and Senior NCP leader Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, besides other NCP leaders namely former Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, Padamsinh Patil and Jayant Patil.