Chhagan Bhujbal Returns to Maharashtra Cabinet

Veteran Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal was sworn in as a minister in the Maharashtra Cabinet today. The 77-year-old leader took the oath of office at Raj Bhavan, administered by Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan. The ceremony was attended by Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde, along with other senior leaders.

This marks the first cabinet expansion under the current government since December. With Bhujbal’s induction, the Maharashtra Cabinet now includes 39 ministers—19 from the BJP, 11 from the Shiv Sena, and 9 from the NCP.

Bhujbal, a seasoned politician, was excluded during the previous expansion in December last year, which had led to disappointment among his supporters. His removal was seen as a setback for the party’s experienced leadership in the state.

His return comes after the resignation of Dhananjay Munde, the former Minister of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection. Munde stepped down in March following the arrest of his close associate Valmik Karat in connection with the murder case of sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh.

Bhujbal’s re-entry into the cabinet is seen as an effort to stabilize the party and bring experienced leadership back into the state government.