The political return of Chhagan Bhujbal: Will the OBC leader join Devendra Fadnavis-led Maharashtra cabinet today? | Mint

Maharashtra: Chhagan Bhujbal, leader of the Nationalist Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), said he will be included in the Chief Minister of Devendra Fadnavis-led Cabinet in Maharashtra on Tuesday. It will be Bhujbal’s return to a long void after a long gap. “I have been informed that I will be included in the state cabinet. Oath ceremony will take place at 10am on Tuesday,” Bhujbal cited PTI news agency on Monday night. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who is head of the ruling Mahayuti coalition in Maharashtra, confirmed the development, the agency said he cited sources. The veteran politician is sworn in by Maharashtra -Governor CP Radhakrishnan in Raj Bhavan. Spring on Bhujbal’s next move Bhujbal was one of the ten ministers dropped off from the new Council of Ministers, with 16 new faces sworn in Maharashtra in December. Bhujbal, 77, whose political career spans a few decades, was absent during the expansion of the Cabinet. There were reports that Bhujbal could leave the NCP at the time. CM Fadnavis and his two delegates Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar took an oath on December 5. The Cabinet was then expanded with the run of 39 ministers on December 15. Bhujbal, a former minister and a prominent OBC face in the state, has since been openly pronounced. The former minister of food and civil supplies expressed his disappointment and later skipped the winter session of the state law. Bhujbal’s inlcusion in the Cabinet Bhujbal’s inclusion in the Cabinet follows the resignation of Dhananjay Munde, a fellow NCP heavyweight that retired as food, civil supplies and consumer protection minister in March. Munde resigned with reference to health grounds. But his departure from the Cabinet comes against the backdrop of his close assistant Walmik Karad who is accused as a key in the Sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case. Bhujbal, the MLA of Yeola in the Nashik district, served as cabinet minister in various governments, including as deputy -cm. The decision regarding portfolio allocation to Bhujbal rests with the Chief Minister and will be announced after the soring ceremony, the agency said. The ruling Mahayuti coalition consists of the BJP, the Shiv Sena led by Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the NCP led by the Deputy CM Ajit Pawar. It is known for dissatisfied Bhujbal that belongs to the Mali community, and is known for dissatisfaction. In 2023, Bhujbal’s statements during the maratha excitement for discussions did not go well with the government of Mahayuti led by Eknath Shinde. Bhujbal – then a minister – targeted the maratha leader Manoj Yarange Patil on an effective. He offered to stop from the cabinet on November 16, 2023. Even before 2024, Sabha election, Bhujbal wanted to compete according to Nashik. However, Ajit Pawar, head of the NCP, upset the seat for Shiv Sena’s Hemant God and Bhujball. He also hoped to be nominated to Rajya Sabha, but Ajit Pawar chose his wife Sunetra Pawar. After the poor performance in the Lok Sabha election, there were rumors that BHUJBALL intended to lead to the UDDHAV Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT). (With Pti inputs)