In a significant political development, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expanded his five-month-old cabinet today with the induction of senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal as a minister.
The 77-year-old political veteran was administered the oath of office by Governor C P Radhakrishnan at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan.
Bhujbal, a key OBC face in Maharashtra politics, has had a long and eventful career spanning several decades. However, his name was conspicuously absent during the first cabinet expansion in December last year, a move that triggered public disappointment and discontent from the seasoned leader himself.
His induction into the cabinet now comes in the wake of a ministerial vacancy created by the resignation of Dhananjay Munde, another influential NCP leader. Munde stepped down as the Minister for Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection in March, following the arrest of his close aide Walmik Karad in connection with the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
Bhujbal’s return is seen as a strategic move by the Fadnavis-led government to consolidate OBC support and restore political balance within the NCP faction aligned with the state government.
Political observers view Bhujbal’s induction as both a recognition of his experience and an attempt to stabilize the coalition amid ongoing internal reshuffles.
