‘All is well that ends well': Chhagan Bhujbal takes oath as Maharashtra minister, replaces Dhananjay Munde
Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal was sworn in as a Cabinet minister in the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti Government in Maharashtra Tuesday, ahead of the civic body elections which are scheduled to be held later this year.
Maharashtra Governor C P Radhakrishnan administered the oath of office to Bhujbal at Raj Bhavan.
'All is well that ends well,' said Bhujbal, who was denied a Cabinet berth after the 2024 Maharashtra Assembly polls.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy CMs Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, along with other ministers, and senior leaders representing all three ruling parties — the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Shiv Sena, and NCP were present during the swearing-in ceremony of Chhagan Bhujbal.
Bhujbal, 77, is replacing Dhananjay Munde, the former Maharashtra food and civil supplies minister, who resigned a couple of months ago over allegations involving his aide Walmik Karad in the murder of Beed sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.
In the Eknath Shinde-led government (2022-2024), Bhujbal held the food and civil supplies portfolio.
The permissible limit for the Maharashtra Cabinet is 43 ministers, including the chief minister and two deputy CMs.
Meanwhile, Opposition parties attacked the Mahayuti for making Bhujbal a minister.
'It shows the BJP's double standards. First, they attacked Bhujbal for corruption. They subjected him to an Enforcement Directorate probe. They got him arrested. Now, he has become clear just because he and his party are with the BJP,' said NCP (SP) spokesperson Clyde Crasto.
Social activist Anjali Damania also expressed disappointment. 'One corrupt minister, Dhananjay Munde, has been replaced by another corrupt minister, Bhujbal'.
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