NCP's Chhagan Bhujbal Takes Oath As Maharashtra Minister
NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal took oath as a minister in the Maharashtra government at the Raj Bhavan today.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal took oath as a minister on Tuesday, May 20 as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis expanded the Maharashtra cabinet. The oath-taking ceremony was held at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai at 10 AM.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar also attended the oath-taking ceremony. Click here to watch the ceremony.
The veteran politician was sworn in by Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan. With this development, Bhujbal has returned to the ministerial office after a long gap.
After taking the oath as Maharashtra minister, NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal said, "As it is said, 'everything is well if it ends well'. I have handled every responsibility, from the Home Ministry to everything. Whatever responsibility I'll be given, that will be alright. It's the prerogative of the CM."
The 77-year-old legislator from Yeola in Nashik district had been conspicuously left out during Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s cabinet expansion in December last year.
Bhujbal, whose political career has spanned several decades and multiple regimes, was notably vocal about his exclusion from the cabinet expansion in 2024. His exclusion, particularly one with strong backing from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) community, sparked widespread debate within political circles.
His re-entry into the cabinet comes in the wake of fellow NCP leader Dhananjay Munde’s resignation as Food and Civil Supplies Minister in March. While Munde cited health reasons for stepping down, his resignation coincided with controversy surrounding his close associate Walmik Karad, who was named a key accused in the murder of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
The decision regarding Bhujbal's portfolio allocation rests with the CM Fadnavis and will be announced after the swearing-in ceremony, news agency PTI reported citing sources.
Throughout his career, Bhujbal has held several high-profile positions, including that of Deputy Chief Minister, and has been a key player in multiple coalition governments. As a senior leader within the NCP faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Bhujbal’s return is seen as both a political recalibration and a move to strengthen the Mahayuti coalition, which includes the BJP, Shiv Sena, and NCP (Ajit Pawar group).
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