2012: The year Maharashtra lost Bal Thackeray

Three months before Thackeray's demise, the state lost Deshmukh, who began as an obscure village sarpanch to become a powerful chief minister and Union minister by negotiating the choppy political waters of Maharashtra with elan.

In September, the state's politics was jolted by the resignation of Ajit Pawar as deputy chief minister in the wake of alleged irregularities in irrigation projects.

Reinstated 72 days later, he found himself cornered by a combative Opposition in the winter session of the legislature.

The Opposition questioned the legal validity of Pawar's appointment, saying the post was not constitutional, and dubbed his taking oath as deputy chief minister sans any ministerial post as a violation of a high court order.

Ties between the Congress and NCP, already strained, plunged to a new low this year.