Inheriting the political legacy of his father, Ashok Chavan, who was tonight chosen to head the Congress Legislature Party in Maharashtra, will continue as the chief minister for the second time, nine months after taking over the affairs of the state.

Chavan, who was selected as the CLP leader by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, owes his selection to his non-controversial brief tenure as the chief minister of the state.

He was elected to the post following resignation of Vilasrao Deshmukh in the wake of Mumbai terror attack in November last year.

During his stint as Chief Minister, Chavan says he expedited projects worth Rs 50,000 crore to make Mumbai a world class city.

Projects awaiting further action include the ambitious Dharavi Redevelopment Project, the Bandra Worli Rajiv Gandhi sea-link extension to Haji Ali and redevelopment of the State Secretariat.

Fifty one-year-old Chavan inherited the political legacy of his late father and former Chief Minister S B Chavan, becoming the first father-son duo in the state's history to adorn the chief ministerial chair.

His father was a loyalist of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

Chavan hails from Marathwada, the region to which his predecessor Deshmukh and former Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil belong.

Chavan began his political career in 1987 when he was elected to Lok Sabha from Nanded constituency, which he represents.

In 1999, Chavan was elected as a Member of Legislative Assembly from Mudkhed constituency and inducted as a cabinet minister for Revenue and Protocol.

In 2003, he became minister for Transport, Ports, Cultural Affairs and Protocol. In November 2004, Chavan became Minister for Industries, Mining, Cultural Affairs & Protocol.

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