The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Maharashtra authorised All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi to choose a new leader to succeed Ashok Chavan who resigned as chief minister in the wake of Adarsh Housing Society scam.

A one-line resolution was passed by the CLP meeting authorizing Gandhi to pick the new chief minister of the state.

The resolution was moved by the outgoing chief minister and seconded by Revenue Minister Narayan Rane, Legislative Council Chairman Shivajirao Deshmukh and former chief minister Shivajirao Patil-Nilangekar, party sources said.

The CLP meeting at Vidhan Bhavan in south Mumbai was attended by Congress central observers Pranab Mukherjee and A K Antony.