Bhujbal is believed to be unhappy with NCP's functioning and the attitude of senior party leaders towards him.
Rumours are circulating again about former deputy chief minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal re-joining Shiv Sena in the run-up to the Legislative Assembly election. Bhujbal is believed to be unhappy with NCP's functioning and the attitude of senior party leaders towards him.
Bhujbal, a founding member of Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad, enjoys considerable clout amongst Malis (gardners) and other OBC communities in the state. He left the Sena in 1991.
Bhujbal is said to be bristled by his party's indifference towards him, following his release on bail last year. He spent two years in prison in connection with the alleged Maharashtra Sadan scam. Sources say the former state minister is also hurt over lack of efforts shown by NCP's senior leadership to defend him during the legal battle, while former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and former minister Sunil Tatkare were given vociferous support in the alleged irrigation scam.
Bhujbal is believed to have sounded off party leadership that he continues to face inquiries and even his family members are not spared. However, no one took sufficient heed of his concerns.
Ghar Wapsi
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| The OBC leader left Sena in 1991; some workers hold him responsible for Bal Thackeray’s arrest |
| Said to be bristled by lack of support shown by NCP leaders during the Maharashtra Sadan scam |
| He is also said to have evinced an interest in joining the BJP, but was stonewalled |
Though Bhujbal enjoys a camaraderie with NCP chief Sharad Pawar, his relations with other leaders are reportedly not so warm. During the general election, he led from the front to take on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. However, his party surprised him by its direct and indirect support for the BJP-led government for passage of the Triple Talaq bill and the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
"I am enjoying news about me joining Shiv Sena," Bhujbal told DNA from his assembly constituency in Nashik District, "Currently, I am with farmers in the fields inquiring about the state of crop sowing and rainfall."
Recently, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray dismissed reports about Bhujbal, his son and NCP legislator Pankaj and nephew Sameer joining the party. Some Sena workers even put up posters declaring their strong opposition to welcoming Bhujbal back into the fold. The posters conveyed the message that party workers had not yet forgotten how Bhujbal was responsible, as the then Home Minister, for the arrest of Sena supremo Bal Thackeray.
Earlier, there were reports that Bhujbal had tried to cosy up to the BJP, but was stonewalled by its senior party leadership. Subsequently, he sent feelers to former colleagues and sympathisers in Shiv Sena, who meditated on his behalf with the party. His supporters argue that his heft will help Sena lasso in more OBC votes.
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