President Patil accepts Chavan’s resignation, Kapil Sibal to hold charge

NEW DELHI - President Pratibha Patil on Wednesday accepted the resignation of Prithviraj Chavan from the Union Council of Ministers.

A Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said the resignation of Chavan who held the charge of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences ministries as Minister of State (Independent Charge) has been accepted by President Patil on the recommendation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“As advised by the Prime Minister, the President directs that Kapil Sibal, Minister of Human Resource Development, may be temporarily entrusted the work of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Earth Sciences,” the spokesperson said.
esides holding independent charge of these two ministries, Chavan was also Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry.

Chavan resigned from the government after he was chosen as the leader of the Maharashtra Congress Legislature Party.

He is likely to be sworn-in as Chief Minister on Thursday.

Chavan’s name was formally announced this morning after he met Congress President Sonia Gandhi at her 10 Janpath residence.

Chavan holds several key assignments in the Union Cabinet.

He was closely involved in the passage of the Indo-US nuclear deal, is monitoring important CBI cases and is currently Minister of State not only in the PMO, but also in the Science and Technology, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Parliamentary Affairs ministries.

Chavan (64) has won three Lok Sabha elections from Karad in Satara district in Western Maharashtra, the stronghold of Sharad Pawar. (ANI)