Bhujbal ousted, Ajit Pawar is new Maharashtra deputy CM

Mumbai: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), arch rival of the Indian National Congress (INC) party in Maharashtra, set its own wheels into motion within hours of the INC nominating Prithviraj Chavan as chief minister of the state. It replaced its Other Backward Caste (OBC) face, and deputy chief minister, Chhagan Bhujbal with Ajit Pawar. Pawar is the nephew of NCP chief  Sharad Pawar.

Ajit Pawar has been chafing at the bit for quite some time now, with Sharad Pawar's daughter, Supriya Sule, making it to the parliament as a Lok Sabha member and assuming a larger national profile, cementing her place as the likely successor to the ageing Sharad Pawar, and Chhagan Bhujbal digging in his heels and refusing to budge from his post as deputy chief minister.

Ajit Pwar had reasons to feel sidelined.

It is being given to understand that top NCP leaders, including civil aviation minister Praful Patel, who flew in from Delhi to attend a meeting of NCP legislators, spent over an hour placating Bhujbal.

Bujbal's fate is uncertain but it is likely that once Sharad Pawar sheds some of the multiple portfolios he holds he may transfer these to Bhujbal's care. Of course, a Rajya Sabha membership will have to be secured for Bhujbal's benefit if such a scenario should indeed work out.

Alternatively, he may continue in the state cabinet.