Staunch loyalists ditch Sharad Pawar to join Shinde govt

Dilip Walse Patil and Chhagan Bhujbal joining the Eknath Shinde government on Sunday is being seen as a shocker in Nationalist Congress Party circles as the two are considered the staunchest supporters of Sharad Pawar.

Ajit Pawar was earlier sworn in as deputy chief minister in the Eknath Shinde government, while eight others, including Walse Patil and Bhujbal, were made ministers, the developments coming after a vertical split in the NCP.

Bhujbal belongs to the Mali community and was previously a firebrand Shiv Sena leader before leaving it in 1991 to join the Congress.

In 1999, when Pawar split from the Congress to form the NCP, Bhujbal, who was leader of opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council at the time, followed the Maratha strongman.

The MLA from Yeola in Nashik has been deputy chief minister of the state earlier and was also the first NCP state unit chief in 1999.

When Ajit Pawar recently said he wanted a role in the party organisation and sought to step down as leader of opposition in the assembly, Bhujbal threw his hat in the ring and batted for a state unit chief from the OBC category, of which he is a prominent leader.

Bhujbal was grilled by the Central Bureau of Investigation during the probe into the multi-crore Telgi stamp paper scam, while he was in jail for two years in a PMLA case before getting bail in 2018.

Walse Patil started his political career as the personal assistant (PA) of 83-year-old Sharad Pawar and is considered his closest aide.

He has served as speaker of the assembly, held the energy, excise and home portfolios and is a seven-time MLA from Ambegaon constituency.

Hasan Mushrif, who represent Kagal assembly seat in Kolhapur district, is facing an Enforcement Directorate probe into corruption allegations and premises connected to him have also been searched by the Central agency earlier.

Dhananjay Munde, who represents Parli assembly seat in Beed district, is nephew of late Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart Gopinath Munde and a close aide of Ajit Pawar, while Anil Patil is MLA from Amalner and was the NCP whip in the assembly.

Aditi Tatkare represents Shrivardhan in Raigad district and is the daughter of Sunil Tatkare, NCP MP from Raigad, and close aide of Ajit Pawar.

Incidentally, Aditi Tatkare had the maximum number of portfolios in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government under Uddhav Thackeray, which fell in June last year.

She also becomes the first woman minister in the Eknath Shinde government, which completed its first anniversary on June 30.

Sanjay Bandsode is MLA from Udgir in Latur district, while Dharmarao Baba Atram represents Aheri constituency.