In a significant development within the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), party Chief and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar recently made a phone call to disgruntled NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal to apologise for not reaching out sooner. The call came after Bhujbal had been upset over not being included in the state cabinet and had been publicly critical of Ajit Pawar.
Bhujbal, who was disappointed by his exclusion from the cabinet following the swearing-in ceremony in December, shared details of the conversation with the media. “Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare invited me to the NCP party convention at Shirdi. I attended the event, and four days ago, Ajit Pawar called me and apologised for not contacting me for a long time. He also invited me to meet and discuss the situation,” Bhujbal revealed.
Despite his initial frustration, Bhujbal remained optimistic, stating, “I am a common party worker. It doesn’t make any difference if I am excluded from the cabinet. Chhagan Bhujbal is not finished yet.”
Bhujbal had openly expressed his displeasure at being overlooked for a ministerial position, even targeting Ajit Pawar for the decision. Following these remarks, senior NCP leaders worked to bridge the gap, eventually prompting Ajit Pawar to reach out to Bhujbal directly.
When asked about his recent meeting with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Bhujbal confirmed he had some work with Fadnavis but refused to comment on whether Ajit Pawar was attempting to convince him.
Both Dhananjay Munde and Chhagan Bhujbal have been central figures in the post-cabinet formation discussions, with their dissatisfaction raising concerns within the NCP. As local body elections approach, Ajit Pawar is likely working to consolidate his leadership, aiming to retain senior leaders like Bhujbal, a prominent figure in Nashik, on his side.
