Amid growing buzz over his ‘exit’ from NCP, Bhujbal keeps Mahayuti, MVA on tenterhooks

Maharashtra civil supplies minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal is known in state political circles as a firebrand who often speaks his mind. Bhujbal seems to be again keeping his party and the Mahayuti coalition guessing, this time over the Maratha quota issue as well as the Rajya Sabha nomination for party chief Ajit Pawar’s wife Suntera.

The speculation about Bhujbal’s exit from his party amid reports of rising tension among the Mahayuti partners – including the BJP, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and Ajit-led NCP – after the NDA’s poor show in the recent Lok Sabha polls appears to be adding to the ruling camp’s troubles in the run-up to the state Assembly polls slated for October this year.

Meanwhile, fuelling the buzz, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray referred to reports about Bhujbal’s possible exit during his address at his party’s foundation day event Wednesday.

Even as Bhujbal, seen as one of the tallest OBC leaders of the state, has denied any such moves, his statements on being denied the Rajya Sabha berth by the NCP and his opposition to the inclusion of Marathas in the OBC category have left the Mahayuti leaders red-faced.

“I am not upset. While working in a political party you have to make collective decisions. Everything does not happen as per one’s wish… There were many aspirants (for a Rajya Sabha berth) but only one can get the nomination. I am not an Independent that I will go by my wish. As a party worker, a party leader, one has to abide by the party’s decision. Sometimes the party faces some compulsions,” Bhujbal had said while dispelling rumours that he was upset over Sunetra’s nomination.

Earlier this week, at a meeting of its supporters, the