Mumbai: Known for his administrative acumen and long experience in the State Legislature, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh, who was sworn-in today (Nov 1, 2004), has come a long way from being the sarpanch of a village to holding the reins of the Government in the State.

This is the second innings for the 59-year-old Deshmukh, hailing from the backward region of Marathawada.

He had earlier occupied the post of the Chief Minister in 1999 but had to step down in favour of Sushilkumar Shinde in January 2003 following directives by the party high command.

A graduate in law, Deshmukh started his political career as sarpanch of native village Babhalgaon in Latur district before he progressed to the Legislative Assembly in 1982.

He was a trusted aide of former Union Home Minister, late Shankarrao Chavan and was also once close to Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil Chakurkar.

As a member of the State cabinet, Deshmukh held several key portfolios like Revenue, Cooperation, Agriculture, Home, Industries and Education in earlier State Ministries.

A known Sharad Pawar baiter, Deshmukh tasted electoral defeat in 1995 Assembly polls from his home constituency Latur, when Janata Dal candidate Shivajirao Patil Kavhekar defeated him by over 30,000 votes.

However, in 1999, he got elected by a record margin and was elected Chief Minister when Congress and the NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) forged the Democratic Front alliance, but was replaced by Sushilkumar Shinde in January 2003. His earlier tenure as Chief Minister was marked by Shiv Sena-BJP's (Bharatiya Janata Party) attempt to poach on Independent legislators supporting the DF alliance, bringing the Government almost to the brink of collapse.