Mumbai: Veteran politician Chhagan Bhujbal, a prominent leader from the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-AP), is expected to make a return to the Maharashtra Cabinet on Tuesday, May 20. According to sources, the swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for 10 AM at Raj Bhavan in Mumbai, with heightened security arrangements already in place.
Bhujbal’s likely re-entry into the Cabinet comes on the heels of Dhananjay Munde’s resignation. Munde, who was in charge of the Food and Civil Supplies portfolio, recently stepped down, creating a vacancy that Bhujbal is tipped to fill under the NCP-AP’s quota in the ruling MahaYuti alliance, which also includes Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
While there has been no official confirmation from the state government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, or from the NCP-AP leadership, Bhujbal’s return has been widely speculated upon in political circles. If confirmed, it would mark a significant political revival for Bhujbal, further cementing his standing in Maharashtra’s political landscape.