Union Science and Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan have been named as the next chief minister of Maharashtra, after Ashok Chavan resigned from the post following the Adarsh Society scam. The decision was announced by Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi this morning after a meeting with the Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Chavan has handed over his resignation as Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office and the five other departments he was handling as the union minister to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He will come to Mumbai this afternoon.Meanwhile, the NCP has welcomed the decision to appoint Prithviraj Chavan as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Party leader Sharad Pawar said that it is a good and right decision.President Pratibha Devi Singh patil has accepted the resignation of Prithviraj Chavan. HRD Minister Kapil Sibal will now hold additional charge of Ministries of Science and Technology and Earth Science.