Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal has expressed frustration with the conduct of the party leadership that precipitated his exclusion from the Maharashtra Cabinet and delay in political decisions. Bhujbal, who is a veteran in the politics of Maharashtra for more than 40 years, is miffed over the sidelining of him despite entries from Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to accommodate him in the Cabinet.
Speaking to reporters on Monday as he left Nagpur for his hometown Nashik, Bhujbal said he had been overlooked for the ministerial position due to his support for the OBC community and his opposition to Maratha social activist Manoj Jarange-Patil. While acknowledging that Fadnavis had been keen on his inclusion, Bhujbal implied that his exclusion was a decision made at the top levels of NCP leadership, hinting at party chief Ajit Pawar’s role in the matter.
Bhujbal, who recently won the Yeola Assembly seat, was also critical of the delay in declaring his candidacy for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. “I’ve been preparing for the elections for a month, but my name was not announced. I opted out because of this lack of clarity,” he said.
He further emphasised that his issue was not with the ministerial position itself but with the way he had been treated and disregarded by the party.
The NCP leader also discussed his attempts to secure a Rajya Sabha seat, which were similarly met with delays and rejection. “I was told to contest the Assembly elections instead of going to Rajya Sabha. Now, they offer me the Rajya Sabha seat again, but I can’t accept it after being elected as an MLA. It would betray my voters,” Bhujbal explained.
His frustration was evident when he asked rhetorically, “Am I a toy in your hands? You want me to go to Rajya Sabha when you decide, contest elections when you decide, and sit or stand when you choose. "That Chhagan Bhujbal is not that kind of person." He is also intending to meet with his supporters in Nashik on Wednesday, to talk about the future course of action.
As a senior leader, Praful Patel from the NCP tried to touch on the subject, stating that the party could send Bhujbal to Rajya Sabha, to which he replied, underscoring how disillusioned he felt because he reiterated that his political future is not so certain, and the party should understand more respectfully about his contributions.
There is, however, escalating frustration among old-timers within the NCP, which hints at making cracks in the internal cohesion of the party.
