Is Chaggan Bhujbal fighting a lone battle?

Does senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and former public works department (PWD) minister Chaggan Bhujbal stands isolated in his own party? After anti-corruption bureau (ACB) sleuths raided his premises over his alleged involvement in Maharashtra Sadan scam and various land deals, Bhujbal seems to be left alone to battle for himself.

No senior NCP leader has come out in the open to defend 67-year-old Bhujbal who is fighting the second biggest political battle of his life. NCP chief Sharad Pawar refused to speak on the issue. NCP state chief Sunil Tatkare too didn't react, pointing out that since party spokespersons are speaking on the issue they need not comment.

Sources close to Bhujbal told dna that the properties raided by the ACB are not new to any one. "All these properties are already mentioned in the election affidavit; so what is new? It is nothing but political conspiracy hatched by the BJP in collusion with NCP. In Telgi scam too, Bhujbal was left to defend himself. He was completely isolated. In the end, when his political career was on the verge of collapse and he was about to be arrested, Pawar in his inimical style intervened and pulled Bhujbal out unscathed," a party source said requesting anonymity.

Another source who worked with Bhujbal for last ten years said party chief Pawar and other leaders are not happy with the Bhujbal's non-political outfit – Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad, which has huge mass appeal among the other backward class people in state. "Parishad is a threat to NCP as Bhujbal had several times indicated that if sidelined, he may convert the parishad into a political outfit. Therefore, the NCP may be part of this larger BJP game plan to cut Bhujbal to size. Besides, Bhujbal is a potential chief minister candidate with mass appeal and a hurdle in way of Ajit Pawar and Supriya Sule, MP and daughter of Sharad Pawar, who are likely to be pitched as the CM candidate in the forthcoming assembly elections. The current raids by the ACB will be bigger setback to Bhujbal's political career," said a political observer.

Moreover, a few months ago, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis at a dinner hosted to mediapersons at his official residence, acknowledged that Bhujbal alone is capable to give them a political threat. After demise of former home minister RR Patil, there is no firebrand leader in NCP except Bhujbal. He has style and furry to expose the government with substantial documents. Bhujbal had done it earlier when he was the Opposition leader.

Even, in the last budget session of assembly, Bhujbal's speech on BJP government's wrongdoings was talk of the town and target was the CM himself. "Therefore, BJP wants to damage his image and bog down his political career by blowing his properties issues. There are many politicians who had amassed huge wealth but they were systematically protected by the government. In fact, Ajit Pawar's alleged irrigation scam and Sunil Tatkare property-related irregularities are much more serious, but Bhujbal has been picked as the lone target alone," said a source close to Bhujbal.