NCP's Chhagan Bhujbal returns to Maharashtra Cabinet as CM Fadnavis balances caste equations
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday expanded his five-month-old Cabinet with the induction of veteran NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal as a minister.
Bhujbal, 77, was sworn in by Maharashtra Governor CP Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan in the presence of Fadnavis. Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, who heads the NCP, were present at the ceremony, alongside other senior ministers from the Mahayuti government.
A prominent OBC leader in the state, Bhujbal has had a long and eventful political career spanning several decades. He was not inducted during Fadnavis’ initial Cabinet expansion in December last year.
His inclusion comes following the resignation of Dhananjay Munde, a fellow NCP heavyweight and influential OBC figure, who stepped down as the minister for food, civil supplies and consumer protection in March.
Munde’s resignation followed the arrest of his close aide Walmik Karad in connection with the murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh. Munde, however, cited health-related reasons for his sudden departure from the Cabinet.
Bhujbal’s absence during the December expansion had sparked debate within political circles, particularly given his standing in the OBC community. He had been openly critical of the decision, with his exclusion seen as controversial by many within the party ranks.
Following Munde’s exit, Bhujbal’s name gained traction as a potential replacement. While speculation mounted, Bhujbal maintained that he did not wish to take up a ministry “at the cost of others.”
However, party leaders reportedly persuaded him, and he is understood to have expressed a desire to return to the Cabinet to complete pending projects in his Yeola constituency.
A veteran of Maharashtra politics, Bhujbal was once a close confidant of Sharad Pawar in the undivided NCP. He had earlier stated that the party would not tolerate the silencing of OBC voices and leadership.
Reacting to Bhujbal’s induction, Deputy CM Shinde said Fadnavis would allocate the portfolio and praised Bhujbal’s vast administrative experience.
“Chhagan Bhujbal has served as a minister before as well. He has led many departments. He is an experienced minister. He is also a Shiv Sainik of Balasaheb Thackeray. He started from the Shiv Sena. He started from corporator, mayor and went on to become an MLA and a minister. He has held many positions. Today, he has taken the oath again. I want to congratulate him. His experience will benefit the government. The portfolio will be decided by the Chief Minister,” Shinde told ANI.
Maharashtra Minister and State BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule also welcomed Bhujbal’s return to the Cabinet.
Speaking to reporters, Bawankule said, “Chhagan Bhujbal is known as an OBC leader, and including him in the cabinet will strengthen the Maharashtra government. Bhujbal will play a major role in fulfilling the resolve of 'Viksit Maharashtra’.”
A legislator from Yeola in Nashik district, Bhujbal has held several key positions in past governments, including serving as Deputy Chief Minister from 1999 to 2003.
He began his political journey in the 1960s with the Shiv Sena, during the height of the Marathi identity movement, and has remained a significant figure in Maharashtra politics ever since.