"I have served for so long in the government... it is now my duty to serve the party", Deshmukh said when asked if he would be contesting the ensuing Lok Sabha elections. "The party has to decide whether I should contest Lok Sabha or other election", Deshmukh said.

The development work done by the Congress-NCP government during my tenure would help Congress in winning the next elections, Deshmukh said.

He remained silent on who would succeed him. "The legislature party will decide and Sonia Gandhi will take the final decision", he said.

Asked about any regret during his tenure, Deshmukh pointed to the Mumbai terror attacks, adding "we could not save so many lives lost in the war against India".

At the press conference, Deshmukh was flanked by MPCC president Manikrao Thakre and working president Jaywantrao Awale.

Maharashtra's 2nd longest serving CM

From a village sarpanch in Latur district to being at the helm of affairs of Maharashtra for two terms, Vilasrao Deshmukh had an impressive run in the whirlpool of state politics, becoming its second longest serving chief minister.

A politician with considerable experience in the legislative and administrative matters, Deshmukh had so far weathered repeated attempts to dislodge him from the top post before the Mumbai terror attacks did him in.

What added to his owes was his tour of the terror-struck Taj and Oberoi hotels in the company of his actor-son Riteish and filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma.

Deshmukh hails from the economically-backward region of Marathwada and is known for his administrative acumen. He has served as a minister in various governments in Maharashtra from 1982 to 1995 holding the portfolios of revenue, cooperation, agriculture, home, industries and education.

In 1999, he became chief minister for the first time after Congress-NCP combine ousted Shiv Sena-BJP alliance from power. However, Deshmukh had to step down as CM in January 2003 and make way for Sushilkumar Shinde, a prominent Dalit face of Congress, following factionalism in the state unit of the party.

A known Sharad Pawar-baiter, Deshmukh suffered a major setback in the 1995 assembly polls when Janata Dal candidate Shivajirao Patil Kavhekar defeated him by over 30,000 votes in Latur assembly constituency. He won the seat in 1999 and also in 2004.