Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Thursday expressed confidence on leading the Congress party to a comfortable victory in the assembly election scheduled for 2004.

"I've begun like Sachin Tendulkar and Saurav Ganguly and I hope to convert this one-day innings into a five-day match," Shinde said in answer to a question.

In Delhi to discuss the expansion of his cabinet with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Shinde thanked her for installing a Dalit as Maharashtra's chief minister.

Shinde was sworn in last week after his predecessor, Vilasrao Deshmukh, was asked to step down by the high command.

Ridiculing Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati for her promise to rename Amethi, Sonia Gandhi's parliamentary constituency, after social reformer Shahu Maharaj, Shinde said Mayawati should worry about economic and social welfare of the downtrodden and the disposessed. "Merely renaming districts and cities does not help anyone," he said.

Sonia has opposed attempts to rename Amethi, a contituency which was once represented by her husband, Rajeev Gandhi.

Acknowledging that Maharashtra's economic condition was precarious with the fiscal deficit shooting up to 78,000 crore from 50,000 crore from the time the Congress-led Democratic Front government assumed power, the chief minister said he would try to rope in non-resident Indians and industrial houses to mobilise resources.

Scotching speculation about a rift in the Congress-Nationalist Congress Party over who would control the finance portfolio in the new ministry, the chief minister said as long as he was the chief minister it would not matter much if the finance portfolio was with his party or with the NCP.

"I've been the finance minister for eight years in earlier state cabinets and now as the chief minister I can always ensure that the things are on the right track," Shinde said.

He said that he had short as well as long-term plans to improve the overall situation in the state.

Shinde said as far as pre-poll alliances were concerned, discussions were going on but it would be premature to make any comment on the matter at this stage.

Asked if the party president has given him a free hand to select his team of ministers, the chief minister said: "I've worked with Soniaji as a general secretary and she had always given me a free hand. But, it is the responsibility of the person concerned to ensure that allround representation is given."

When asked as to how good a rapport he now enjoyed with NCP chief Sharad Pawar, against whom he had revolted several years ago, Shinde said: "That was in 1990. Now that is past...that is history."