Since all the main contenders, Chhagan Bhujbal, Vijaysinh Mohite Patil and Padamsinh Patil rejected the formula of election by consensus, the NCP had to hold secret ballot.

However, when the actual process of voting started and it became clear that Bhujbal would win, the two Patils not only withdrew from the fray halfway, but also proposed and seconded Bhujbal's name. Leader of Opposition in the dissolved Assembly, Madhukar Pichad, who was also in the fray, withdrew even before the actual polling started.

(Significantly, Mohite Patil's name had figured in the list of those of NCP men who had favoured a tie-up with the Sena-BJP alliance, though he hotly denies it.) Bhujbal, however, sought to underplay the differences: ``Since there was no consensus, we had to hold the elections. There is nothingwrong in holding polls for the purpose,'' Bhujbal told The Indian Express.

On October 15, a meeting was held in the presence of NCP President Sharad Pawar to elect the leader of the legislature party. Since there was no consensus, the party legislators had empowered him (Pawar) to take a final decision. However, instead of nominating the leader, Pawar asked the legislators themselves to decide.

Bhujbal said only Vilasrao Deshmukh and he would be be sworn-in as chief minister and deputy chief minister on Monday. ``In the second phase of expansion on Tuesday, about two dozen cabinet members will be inducted, while in the third phase after the three-day session commencing on October 22, the cabinet will be expanded further.''

According to a senior Congress leader, though an agreement has been reached between Congress and NCP, the crisis is yet not over, since no consensus has been reached on the post of the Speaker and also on sharing of portfolios and corporations.

Initially, both Congress andNCP had unanimously agreed on Ganpatrao Deshmukh, veteran PWP leader, who has been the members of the assembly for last more than six terms. However, now since Deshmukh has declined the offer, the Congress-NCP front is facing a piquant situation. Senior leaders of both the parties are now clamouring for the post. Former chief minister Shivajirao Patil Nilangekar has asked his party to nominate him on the ground that he was unable to accept any post while the NCP has proposed the candidature of Arun Gujrathi, former Urban Development Minister and trusted aide of Sharad Pawar.

``Once Deshmukh and Bhujbal take oath, I do not think that there will be any crisis. In any case, both the parties will have to make compromises for the cause of the front,'' the Congress leader added.