‘Am I a toy?': Senior NCP leader asks party top brass over Maharashtra cabinet snub

Seemingly miffed over his exclusion from the new council of ministers in Maharashtra, senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal took a veiled jibe at party supremo Ajit Pawar, claiming that chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was in fact in favour of his induction in the state cabinet.

Speaking to reporters in Nashik, Bhujbal said that Pawar makes the decisions for NCP like Fadnavis does for the BJP and Eknath Shinde for the Shiv Sena, PTI reported.

Amid speculations over his "Jahan nahi chaina, wahan nahi rehna" remark a day before, Bhujbal said that he would make a statement on Wednesday after discussing with NCP workers and people from his Yeola constituency.

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Bhujbal claimed he was excluded from the cabinet because he took on Maratha activist Manoj Jarange.

And though the NCP leader said he wasn't disappointed about the exclusion from the cabinet, Bhujbal added he felt humiliated by his treatment.

‘Am I a toy?’

The leader claimed he was asked to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in May, but his name was not finalised. And then recently, weeks after winning the state assembly polls from the Yeola constituency, Bhujbal said he was offered a Rajya Sabha seat.

"I accepted the suggestion to contest Lok Sabha elections from Nashik. When I wanted to be in the Rajya Sabha earlier this year, I was asked to fight the assembly elections. I was offered a Rajya Sabha seat eight days ago which I rejected," the senior NCP leader said.

"They didn't listen to me then, now they are giving it (Rajya Sabha seat). Am I a toy in your hands?" Bhujbal asked.

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Asking whether it is thought that he will do whatever he is told do, Bhujbal asked, "What will the people in my constituency feel if I resign?"

"I have confirmed that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis insisted on my inclusion in the state cabinet. The chief of each party in the Mahayuti alliance decides for his party. Fadnavis for BJP, Eknath Shinde for Shiv Sena, and Ajit Pawar for NCP," he said.

The Maharashtra cabinet expansion took place on Sunday, with Fadnavis inducting 39 new members to his team. Of these, 19 were from the Bharatiya Janata Party, 11 from Shiv Sena and 9 from NCP.

Bhujbal was among the 10 ministers dropped from the new cabinet. The leader expressed discontent over the same, skipping the winter session of the state legislature, and returning to his constituency in Nashik.

On the insistence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah, Bhujbal said he was asked to contest the general elections from Nashik.

"However, at the last moment, my name was not announced, and I had to withdraw from the contest," he added.

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Later, the NCP leader said he expressed his wish for a Rajya Sabha seat. Bhujbal claimed he was told that Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra and Nitin Patel were being considered.

Bhujbal said he accepted the NCP leadership's decision even then. "After contesting and winning the state assembly elections, I am told to move to Rajya Sabha. For this, Nitin Patil will be asked to resign," he said.

The NCP leader said he was denied the opportunity when he wanted and then constituency people fought hard for him in this state election. "How can I ask them to accept my resignation now?" Bhujbal questioned.

However, Bhujbal has told NCP leadership that he will consider the Rajya Sabha offer in one or two years after everything gets settled in his Yeola constituency.

Bhujbal also clarified that he had not spoken to deputy chief minister and NCP supremo Ajit Pawar after the cabinet berth snub.

(with inputs from PTI)