Chhagan Bhujbal praises Bal Thackeray

Very few can stir up controversy as swiftly as Maharashtra’s former deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal does. An NCP leader, Mr Bhujbal at his birthday bash in Mumbai took a dig at party chief Sharad Pawar while going ga ga over his former mentor Bal Thackeray. He might have left Shiv Sena, but his heart still burns for the Sena chief, the birthday celebrations indicate.

The birthday celebrations had another political overtone. Though he is a senior NCP leader, no one from his party graced the occasion while OBC leaders from all major parties made their presence felt. What made Mr Bhujbal’s felicitation all the more interesting was the fact that it was organised by Peasants and Workers Party (PWP) legislator Jayant Patil.

Mr Bhujbal, who turned 60 on Monday, was felicitated by his followers on Sunday night in the presence of BJP veteran Gopinath Munde. The BJP general secretary himself is not only an OBC leader of repute, but also a known Pawar-baiter. In fact, his campaign against Mr Pawar had dethroned the Maratha strongman in 1995 and he has vowed to launch a similar one again on the wheat import controversy.

For Mr Bhujbal, sources say, the bash was an attempt to come out of a prolonged phase of relative political hibernation. Mr Bhujbal, in his speech, fondly remembered his Shiv Sena days and lavished praise on his former mentor Bal Thackeray.

Recalling the Telgi scam in which his involvement was alleged, Mr Bhujbal turned a little bitter and subtle. “Those to whom I was looking for support left me in the lurch while common workers stood by me when I was being dragged into the Telgi scam,” said Mr Bhujbal, apparently referring to the manner in which Mr Pawar had asked him to resign as deputy chief minister then. However, Mr Bhujbal described Mr Pawar as one of the two great leaders in Maharashtra, the other being Mr Thackeray.

Courtesy:The Economic Times
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