NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who switched over to the BJP-led NDA along with Ajit Pawar in July last year, has said that he has received a threat letter. He said the letter mentioned that a Rs 50-lakh contract had been issued in his name.
Bhujbal, the Food and Civil Supplies Minister in Maharashtra, said, "I did receive a threat letter which read that a contract of Rs 50 lakh has been given to kill me... The letter has details of some cars and phones. It has been forwarded to the police..."
Bhujbal further said that he has been receiving such threats over the past few months over the phone as well. "Throughout my political career, I have been at the receiving end of such threats and even attacks," the Yevla MLA said.
In July last year, Bhujbal received a similar death threat right after he was sworn into the Eknath Shinde Cabinet. A 24-year-old man was alleged to have called Bhujbal's personal assistant (PA) to issue the threat. The suspect said that he had received Bhujbal's supari (contract) and he would kill him. The suspect was later caught by the Pune Crime Branch.
Bhujbal, previously a Sharad Pawar loyalist, shocked the political circles when he left the NCP's Sharad Pawar faction and joined the Ajit Pawar group. last year as Pawar junior effected a rebellion against his uncle.
However, after joining the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance, Bhujbal faced resistance over the issue of Maratha reservation through Kunbi caste certificates. Bhujbal on February 3, while addressing a rally in Ahmednagar claimed that he had resigned from the Maharashtra cabinet on November 16, but had kept this fact a secret. However, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the resignation of the senior Other Backward Class (OBC) leader had not been accepted.