CM Fadnavis was keen on inducting me in cabinet during its first expansion: Chhagan Bhujbal

Chhagan Bhujbal is the multiple-time MLA from Yeola in Nashik district in north Maharashtra. Pic/X

Senior Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday said that Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was keen on taking him in his cabinet during its first expansion in December also and played a key role in his induction this week, reported the PTI.

Chhagan Bhujbal (77), a prominent OBC leader, was inducted into the Fadnavis cabinet on Tuesday (May 20), marking his return to the Mahayuti 2.0 government after he was ignored for a ministerial position after the BJP-led coalition came back to power post-landslide victory in the November 2024 assembly polls.

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The first expansion of the Fadnavis government took place in December last year and the second one on May 20 when the NCP leader took oath.

Asked about talks in certain quarters that the CM, a BJP leader, played a key role in his induction amid opposition within the NCP, Chhagan Bhujbal said, "It is true. In the first cabinet expansion also, CM Fadnavis saheb had insisted on my inclusion in the ministry. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had that also tried for the same. However, it could not happen that time," according to the PTI.

He was speaking to reporters at the Nagpur airport in Maharashtra.

In reply to a question, Bhujbal argued some people comment without any reason, "but I want to tell that I am not a minister of the BJP, but of the NCP. The NCP will decide who it wants to make a minister, while the CM just gives suggestions," as per the PTI.

The Mahayuti consists of the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP.

To a query on Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange announcing a fresh round of agitation in August in support of his demands, the cabinet minister, without elaborating, declared "we are also ready."

Bhujbal has been consistently opposing Jarange's demand to include the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category for reservation in education and government employment.

The veteran politician maintained he does not want to get into the issue of who will become the guardian minister of Nashik district, his political turf.

Chhagan Bhujbal is the multiple-time MLA from Yeola in Nashik district in north Maharashtra.

(with PTI inputs)