‘All is well that ends well’: Chhagan Bhujbal takes oath as Maharashtra minister, replaces Dhananjay Munde

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, “We welcome Bhujbal to the cabinet. Bhujbal is a senior and experienced leader who has always championed the OBC cause. His presence in the cabinet will be beneficial.”

After taking the oath at a brief ceremony held at the Raj Bhavan, Bhujbal greeted the CM who offered him a bouquet. Bhujbal then walked to deputy CM Eknath Shinde who also greeted him, while NCP president and deputy CM Ajit Pawar walked up to Bhujbal and greeted him with a bouquet.

“In Bhujbal, we have an experienced leader and administrator. We welcome him to the cabinet,” Pawar said.
With over five decades of political career starting from municipal corporator to minister, Bhujbal is known to express his views bluntly. After the Assembly elections in 2024, the senior leader was miffed after NCP denying him ministerial berth.

However, he had said, “Irrespective of party post and position I owe to the people who have elected me from Yeola Assembly seat. Moreover, my commitment to OBC is unwavering. will fight for their rights till the end.”

After getting cabinet berth on Tuesday, a seemingly pleased Bhujbal said, “All is well, that ends well.”

Apart from the CM and his deputies, leaders representing all the three ruling parties — BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP — were present at the swearing-in ceremony.

Bhujbal’s induction was necessitated to fill the vacancy created after the resignation of Dhananjay Munde who held the food and civil supplies portfolio. In the Eknath Shinde-led government, Bhujbal had held the portfolio from 2022 to 2024.

After the landslide victory of the Mahayuti in the 2024 Assembly polls, Fadnavis, Shinde and Ajit Pawar took oath at the Azad Maidan in Mumbai on December 5, while a full-fledged cabinet of 39 ministers took oath at Nagpur during the Assembly’s winter session. The BJP had maximum 19 ministers, Shiv Sena 11 and NCP nine.

The permissible limit for state cabinet is 43 ministers, including the CM and deputy CMs. The current strength is 42.

Criticising the Mahayuti for inducting Bhujbal into the cabinet, state Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal said, “When Bhujbal was not part of the BJP-led coalition, he was called a corrupt minister. The BJP ordered ED probe and arrested him. Now, the BJP washing machine has cleaned him… The BJP does every thing for power. It misuses central agencies to attack and intimidate political rivals. When they become part of the BJP, they are given clean chit.”

Spokesperson of NCP(SP), Clyde Crasto, said, “This shows BJP’s double standards. First they attacked Bhujbal for corruption. They subjected him to Enforcement Directorate probe. They got him arrested. Now, he has become clear just because he and his party is with the BJP.”
Social activist Anjali Damania expressed disappointment and said, “One corrupt minister Dhananjay Munde has been replaced by another corrupt minister Bhujbal.”

However, NCP spokesperson Anand Paranjpee said, “Bhujbal is a senior leader. He was a minister in the previous MVA government. There is no corruption charge as court has given him clean chit in the Maharashtra Sadan case.”