Denied cabinet berth, bruised Bhujbal hits out at Ajit Pawar; supporters protest in Pune

Protests were also witnessed in Pune, the home district of Ajit Pawar, on Tuesday by supporters of Bhujbal who called the act of sidelining him an insult to Other Backward Classes.

My supporters stand firmly behind me: Bhujbal

Speaking to reporters in Nashik, his home district in north Maharashtra, Bhujbal said he met his supporters to explain his omission from the Devendra Fadnavis-led cabinet which was expanded on December 15 in Nagpur with the induction of 39 members.

The 77-year-old MLA from Yeola in Nashik district, who was a cabinet member in the previous Mahayuti government, did not find a place in the new ministry. Three other Mahayuti ministers who were denied ministerial posts were Dilip Walse Patil of the NCP and Sudhir Mungantiwar and Vijaykumar Gavit of the BJP.

Also read: Upset about exclusion from new Mahayuti cabinet; will decide future course: Bhujbal

"People are still confused. I got elected by my people and I need to tell them the reasons behind my omission from the cabinet. I explained everything to them. They told me they will stand firmly behind me and requested me not to leave the assembly. I assured them that I will not abandon them," Bhujbal said.

‘No discussions before key decisions’

Bhujbal, known for his clout among the OBC community, criticised NCP chief Ajit Pawar, for not holding any discussions with senior leaders on important issues.

"There has been no discussion with Ajit Pawar in the last seven days. I am nearly 700 km away from Nagpur (where the winter session of the state legislature is underway), so I do not know where he is and why he is not in Vidhan Bhavan. You can ask them," he said.

The former minister accused Ajit Pawar, who joined the previous Mahayuti government in July 2023 after disassociating himself from his uncle Sharad Pawar, of favouring a select group of leaders and ignoring senior members like him.

Also read: Maharashtra: NCP leader Bhujbal distances himself from 'batenge toh katenge' poll pitch

Bhujbal, who was once close to Sharad Pawar, was among NCP MLAs who joined the first Mahayuti government.

"Even Sharad Pawar (who now heads rival NCP-SP) used to discuss matters with us to some extent. There used to be discussions, even if we disagreed with Sharad Pawar. Here, there is no discussion or sharing of information. Nobody has any clue till the last minute. Only Ajit Pawar, Praful Patel, and Sunil Tatkare know about all decisions. We do not know who will get a ticket for the Lok Sabha or Assembly elections. Our participation is zero in decision-making processes," he noted.

‘Sharad Pawar always kept us in loop’

Bhujbal emphasised such situations were unheard of during his earlier political associations with the undivided NCP and the Shiv Sena, and the Congress.

"We came along with Ajit Pawar (in July 2023) with our seniority. Be it the Shiv Sena, Congress, or NCP, there used to be some discussion by taking us into confidence. Even if our suggestions or opinions were not considered sometimes in the past, we always had the feeling of being heard and taken us into confidence," averred the NCP politician.

Reflecting on his past contributions, Bhujbal, who had stints in the united Shiv Sena and later in the Congress, said he had always been a part of key decisions during his political career since the late 1970s.

Also read: Understanding, cooperation needed to solve Maratha quota row: Sharad Pawar

"Since 1978, I was part of every important decision of my party, Shiv Sena. I joined the Congress later and stayed with Sharad Pawar when he left the party (in 1999 and formed NCP). He used to keep us in the loop. Everyone has his own style of functioning, I accept it. Some people become bigger and some like me get left behind," he said.

‘Perhaps, a fighter like me is not needed’

Asked about his experience in the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, Bhujbal said, "I earned respect in every party I had been with. You have to earn it through your efforts and struggle. Last year, I spearheaded a significant fight (opposing activist Manoj Jarange's demand for OBC status to Marathas for quota benefits), and I carried it on my own. I even endangered my life. I single-handedly fought that fight."

Also read: Maharashtra: Why rising OBC ire has Mahayuti alliance in a spot ahead of polls

On why he was excluded from the cabinet, Bhujbal remarked, "They (NCP leaders) might have thought that after winning 41 MLAs, a fighter like me is not required in the cabinet. I am not talking to anyone or discussing anything. Whatever is going on, is with (his nephew) Sameer Bhujbal. It was never about inclusion in the cabinet. The way I have been treated is objectionable. We just have to listen to the orders of three persons. There is no participation at all. We have no clue what is going on," the NCP politician asserted, hitting out at party's top leadership.

Protests in Pune

Meanwhile, Bhujbal’s supporters staged protests in Pune over his exclusion from the new Maharashtra cabinet. An agitation was also held outside the bungalow of Ajit Pawar in his hometown Baramati in Pune district.

"Despite being the senior-most leader in the NCP, Bhujbal was denied a cabinet berth which is an insult to the OBCs. If you had decided to allot cabinet posts to senior leaders, then why did the same parameter not apply to Bhujbal?" asked an angry supporter who participated in a demonstration outside the Pune district collectorate.

NCP workers wore black clothes and slammed Ajit Pawar.

A protester demanded Ajit Pawar make an announcement assigning the deputy chief minister's post to Bhujbal, a prominent OBC leader, after two-and-a-half years.

Another protester said only Bhujbal stood for OBCs when activist Manoj Jarange launched hunger strikes demanding OBC status for the Maratha community for quota benefits in jobs and education.

(With inputs from agencies)