Nationalist Congress Party (Ajit Pawar) leader and state food and civil supplies minister Chhagan Bhujbal is reportedly planning to quit the party and join hands with Uddhav Thackeray. Bhujbal, unhappy over being sidelined in the party and denied a ticket to Parliament, is considering joining the Uddhav-led Sena despite previous differences.
Bhujbal, a prominent OBC leader who also heads Samata Parishad, a social organisation, met his supporters on Monday and is reportedly weighing options. Bhujbal on Monday said he would urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to conduct a nationwide caste census to know the exact OBC population in the country. Though not accepted, Bhujbal had resigned from the Eknath Shinde-led government in November over differences in granting Maratha reservation.
Bhujbal has felt sidelined after he was denied Nashik seat in the recently concluded Lok Sabha polls. Though Bhujbal hoped he would be nominated to Rajya Sabha, the party nominated Ajit Pawar’s wife Sunetra Pawar for the seat. Sunetra lostfrom Baramati in the Lok Sabha polls.
Bhujbal’s move comes amidst Nationalist Congress Party (SP) leader and grandnephew of Sharad Pawar, Rohit Pawar’s claim that 18-19 MLAs of the Ajit-led faction are in touch with them, and they will join the party once the monsoon session ends.
Rohit Pawar on Monday told reporters that there are several NCP MLAs who have never spoken ill against party founder Sharad Pawar and other senior leaders after the July 2023 split in the outfit. "But they have to attend the legislature session and get development funds for their constituencies. So they will wait till the session ends (before making the switch over)," said Rohit Pawar.
"There are 18 to 19 (NCP) MLAs who are in touch with us and Pawar saheb," and they will cross over to their side after the monsoon session, the opposition legislator claimed. Sharad Pawar and other NCP (SP) leaders will take a decision on whom to take back in the fold, said the MLA from Karjat-Jamkhed in Ahmednagar district.
