Mumbai:

Nationalist Congress Party leader Chhagan Bhujbal’s clear and strong message that he is not happy at being left out of the Maharashtra government, has raised considerable interest in the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi camp. Not only has the Congress sent feelers to Mr Bhujbal, a comment by Uddhav Thackeray, chief of Shiv Sena UBT, has sparked speculation.

“I felt sad for Bhujbal. He is in touch with me, every now and then,” Mr Thackeray told reporters today.

Congress veteran Dr Nitin Raut, a five-time MLA from Nagpur North Assembly constituency and a prominent Dalit leader, said today that “a gross injustice” has been done with Mr Bhujbal and the OBC (Other Backward Classes)  community”.

“You (Bhujbal) have belatedly realised the method of these people to work against the OBCs and backwards classes. You must ponder about who you want to stay with and how… If a capable person like you is ready to work with us, then we are prepared to welcome you,” Mr Raut said.

Even the NCP faction led by Sharad Pawar has been loud in their expressions of sympathy. 

Senior party leader Jitendra Awhad said not including Mr Bhujbal in the cabinet is a move to “end” his political career.

“Looking at his age, temperament, his fight, he should have got justice. The Maratha-OBC divide was engineered by the (Eknath Shinde-led) government… Now, the same Bhujbal has been relegated to the rear seat,” he said. 

Mr Bhujbal has made it clear that he would take some action, though he has left everyone guessing on what it would be.

His “Jaha nahi chaina, waha nahi rehna (no staying where there is no peace)” comment has led to speculation that he might join the BJP or float his own party.

What he has made clear is that he is upset with the top leaders of his party — Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel.

“It was never about inclusion in the cabinet,” he said, while explaining how he was left out of the council of ministers despite Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clearing his name. 

“The way I have been treated is objectionable. We just have to listen to the orders of three persons. There is no participation at all. We have no clue what is going on,” the NCP leader said.

Mr Bhujbal’s supporters within the NCP, meanwhile, have hit the streets. Protests were held in Pune and outside the bungalow of Ajit Pawar in Baramati.

Former ministers Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil of the NCP and Sudhir Mungantiwar and Vijaykumar Gavit of the BJP are among the prominent leaders who didn’t make it to the state cabinet.

Gondia:

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Working President Praful Patel on Saturday said that he will retire from politics if any attempts are made to disturb the reservation.

“… in such a situation there will be no point to hold any post or remain in. politics. I will retire from politics. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar has given reservation in our Constitution. No one can disturb that (reservation) or change its original structure,” he said during his visit to Gondia in the state’s Vidarbha region.

Praful Patel said that during the Lok Sabha elections, “people fell victim to the fake narrative that the Constitution will be changed and there will be an end to reservation”.

“But now, people have realised. Many like us who are sitting in the Parliament taking oaths to the Constitution will not allow this to happen,” he added.

On the politically sensitive issue of the Maratha reservation, Patel said that the MahaYuti government is committed to providing the quota.

“The government has already enacted legislation providing 10 per cent reservation to the Maratha community. The Congress and all other parties have been in power for many years. The question of reservation for Marathas is of yesterday, not today… it is very old. This community has been demanding reservation for years,” he said.

Patel further said: “All three parties are working as a grand alliance (MahaYuti) in Maharashtra and will face this election successfully in Maharashtra. The MahaYuti will form the next government after the Assembly election.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel has been let off in an alleged corruption case as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) concluded there was no “evidence of any wrongdoing”. The case was registered in 2017 to probe the allegations of irregularities in leasing aircraft for Air India.

CBI has filed a closure report at a special court in Delhi. After going through the probe agency’s findings, the court will decide whether to accept the report or continue the investigation.

Allegations had been made that under the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, a large number of Air India aircraft were leased which hit the airlines’ finances severely. The charges claimed that Air India made huge losses after the move while private persons made pecuniary gains.

This leasing agreement was finalised by Ministry of Civil Aviation under the then minister Praful Patel and the National Aviation Corporation of India, a body formed after the merger of Air India and Indian Airlines.

The airlines began running at very low load due to large-scale acquisitions and a significant increase in the number of flights, the FIR had alleged. It also stated that when the leasing decision was made, some of Air India’s international flights were running almost empty.

The CBI initially alleged that the decision was made “dishonestly,” and the aircraft were leased even while an acquisition program was going on.

In July last year, Praful Patel was among the senior NCP leaders who broke away from the party supremo Sharad Pawar and joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party. The faction, led by Ajit Pawar, is currently part of the ruling alliance in Maharashtra along with BJP and Shiv Sena.

In 2017, the CBI registered a case to probe the allegations of irregularities after a Supreme Court order. Several officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Air India were put under scanner in the matter.

It was alleged that Mr Patel abused his position to lease a large number of aircraft for Air India, which was a public carrier at the time.

Air India, to allegedly benefit private parties, leased four Boeing 777s for five years in 2006, whereas it was to get the delivery of its aircraft from July 2007 onwards. As a result, five Boeing 777s and five Boeing 737s were kept idle on the ground at an estimated loss of Rs 840 crores during 2007-09.

The leasing decision was taken “in conspiracy with other unknown persons on extraneous considerations” that resulted in “pecuniary benefit” to private companies and consequent “loss to government exchequer,” the FIR had alleged.

Mumbai:

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had been diagnosed with dengue and advised medical guidance and rest for the next few days, his party leader Praful Patel said on Sunday. Patel, who is the working president of a rival NCP group, took to X to inform about the health condition of 64-year-old Pawar.

“Contrary to speculative media reports suggesting that Ajit Pawar is not attending public events, I would like to clarify that he has been diagnosed with dengue since yesterday and has been advised medical guidance and rest for the next few days,” he said.

“Ajit Pawar remains committed to his public service responsibilities. Once he has fully recovered, he will be back in full force to continue his dedicated public duties,” Patel added in the post.

Contrary to speculative media reports suggesting that Shri Ajit Pawar is not attending public events, I would like to clarify that he has been diagnosed with dengue since yesterday and has been advised medical guidance and rest for the next few days. Shri Ajit Pawar remains…

— Praful Patel (@praful_patel) October 29, 2023

On July 2 this year, Ajit Pawar along with eight other senior NCP leaders joined the Eknath Shinde-led state government, leading to a split in the party founded by his uncle Sharad Pawar.

Ajit Pawar claims to have the support of more than 40 of the 53 NCP MLAs in the state. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)