Maharashtra unit chief of the Nationalist Congress Party, R R Patil, will be the state's next deputy chief minister.

The decision was taken at the party's headquarters in south Mumbai on Friday afternoon, where the MLAs cast secret ballots.Patil, who represents Tasgaon in Sangli district, beat Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil to the post.

Patil currently is the home minister in the Congress-NCP government.