Senior Congress Legislators Sanjay Deotale and Madhukar Chavan are front-runners for the post of Maharashtra Assembly Deputy Speaker, party sources said.

"Deotale and Chavan are strong contenders for Deputy Speaker's post, which will go to Congress as NCP MLA Dilip Walse-Patil was elected Speaker," the sources said. Deotale is a fourth-term MLA from Warora Assembly Constituency in Vidarbha's Chandrapur district. Chavan, senior Congress leader from Marathwada region, from where Chief Minister Ashok Chavan hails, is also a fourth term MLA from Tuljapur.