Union Science and Technology Minister Prithviraj Chavan has 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 on Wednesday morning after a meeting with the Congress President Sonia Gandhi.After the announcement, Prithviraj Chavan said he accept the responsibility with all humility. Mr Chavan expressed his hope to do the best.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.The legislature party of NCP, coalition partner in the ruling Democratic Front government in Maharashtra, is holding a meeting this afternoon in Mumbai on the backdrop of change of guard in Congress. Senior NCP leaders including Union Minister Praful Patel and veterans D P Tripathi and Tariq Anwar are scheduled to attend the meeting as Central Observers. The meeting is likely to discuss the change of deputy minister, besides portfolios of NCP ministers in the Maharashtra cabinet. The names which are doing rounds for the post of deputy chief minister are Ajit Pawar and R R Patil. Decision regarding the timing of swearing-in ceremony of the new chief minister will be taken only after this meeting and Mr Chavan’s arrival in Mumbai.