Fadanvis Govt. Comes Under Fire After Bhujbal’s Induction into Cabinet

 Mumbai: Opposition parties and activists slammed Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadanvis after senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Tuesday morning took oath as a minister. Mr Bhujbal, who was sulking after his exclusion from the cabinet in December, was inducted into the state cabinet, filling the vacancy created by Dhananjay Munde's resignation. The opposition accused the BJP of having double standards on corruption as it had once branded Mr. Bhujbal as a corrupt politician.

Mr. Bhujbal was sworn in by Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhavan. The 77-year-old politician replaced Mr. Munde, who resigned in March after the arrest of his close aide Walmik Karad in sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh murder case, as the food, civil supplies and consumer protection minister.

Social activist Anjali Damania on her official X account questioned the CM’s commitment against corruption. She alleged that he has swapped “one corrupt minister for another”. “The state has acquired yet another ED Bhushan minister,” she said.

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange said Ajit Pawar will have to pay a price for giving a ministerial berth to someone who has opposed Maratha reservation. “Whether Mr. Bhujbal should be made a minister or not is the NCP’s internal party matter. But, Ajit Pawar has made a big mistake. He will have to face the consequences,” he said.

NCP (SP) spokesperson NCP-SP) Clyde Crasto called the move ti induct Mr. Bhujbal into the cabinet a glaring example of the BJP’s “double standards”. “BJP fought tooth and nail to prove that Mr. Bhujbal is corrupt, but today, the same person is inducted in Mr. Fadnavis's ministry,” the NCP (SP) spokesperson said.