| Chhagan Bhujbal | |
| Native Name Lang: | mr |
| Office: | Cabinet Minister Government of Maharashtra |
| Subterm: | Cabinet |
| Suboffice: | Eknath Shinde ministry |
| Minister: | Food & Civil Supply Consumer Affairs |
| Term Start: | 2 July 2023 |
| Term End: | 26 November 2024 |
| 1Blankname: | Chief Minister |
| 1Namedata: | Eknath Shinde |
| 2Blankname: | Deputy CM |
| 2Namedata: | Devendra Fadnavis (first) Ajit Pawar (second) |
| 3Blankname: | Guardian Minister |
| Predecessor: | Ravindra Chavan Ravindra Chavan |
| Office1: | Cabinet Minister Government of Maharashtra |
| Term Start1: | 30 December 2019 |
| Term End1: | 29 June 2022 |
| Subterm1: | Cabinet |
| Suboffice1: | Thackeray ministry |
| Minister1: | Food & Civil Supply Consumer Affairs State Border Defence |
| 1Blankname1: | Chief Minister |
| 1Namedata1: | Uddhav Thackeray |
| 2Blankname1: | Deputy CM |
| 2Namedata1: | Ajit Pawar |
| 3Blankname1: | Guardian Minister |
| 3Namedata1: | Nashik District |
| Predecessor1: | Jayant Patil (acting) Jayant Patil (acting) CM Uddhav Thackeray (add'l charge) |
| Successor1: | Ravindra Chavan Ravindra Chavan CM Eknath Shinde (add'l charge) |
| Office2: | Cabinet Minister Government of Maharashtra |
| Term Start2: | 11 November 2010 |
| Term End2: | 26 September 2014 |
| Subterm2: | Cabinet |
| Suboffice2: | Prithviraj Chavan ministry |
| Minister2: | Public Works (incl. Public Undertakings) Tourism |
| 1Blankname2: | Chief Minister |
| 1Namedata2: | Prithviraj Chavan |
| 2Blankname2: | Deputy CM |
| 2Namedata2: | Ajit Pawar |
| 3Blankname2: | Guardian Minister |
| 3Namedata2: | Nashik District |
| Predecessor2: | Himself DCM Jaydattaji Kshirsagar Vijaykumar Krishnarao Gavit |
| Successor2: | Eknath Khadse Eknath Khadse Jayakumar Jitendrasinh Rawal |
| Office3: | 5th Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra |
| Term Start3: | 7 November 2009 |
| Term End3: | 10 November 2010 |
| Minister3: | Public Works (excl. Public Undertakings) Special Assistance |
| 1Blankname3: | Chief Minister |
| 1Namedata3: | Ashok Chavan |
| Subterm3: | Cabinet |
| Suboffice3: | Second Ashok Chavan ministry |
| 3Blankname3: | Guardian Minister |
| 3Namedata3: | Amaravati District Nashik District |
| 2Blankname3: | Maharashtra Legislature |
| 2Namedata3: | Leader of the House (Maharashtra Legislative Council) Deputy Leader of the House (Maharashtra Legislative Assembly) |
| Predecessor3: | Himself Himself Nawab Malik |
| Successor3: | Ajit Pawar Himself Patangrao Kadam |
| Term Start4: | 18 January 2003 |
| Term End4: | 23 December 2003 |
| Minister4: | Ports Development Ministry Social Justice Ministry |
| 1Blankname4: | Chief Minister |
| 1Namedata4: | Sushilkumar Shinde |
| Subterm4: | Cabinet |
| Suboffice4: | Sushilkumar Shinde ministry |
| 3Blankname4: | Guardian Minister |
| 3Namedata4: | Nashik District |
| 2Blankname4: | Maharashtra Legislature |
| 2Namedata4: | Deputy Leader of the House (Maharashtra Legislative Assembly) |
| Predecessor4: | Himself |
| Successor4: | Vijaysingh Mohite-Patil |
| Term Start5: | 18 October 1999 |
| Term End5: | 16 January 2003 |
| Minister5: | Home Affairs Social Justice Ministry Special Assistance Ministry Majority Welfare Development Ministry |
| 1Blankname5: | Chief Minister |
| 1Namedata5: | Vilasrao Deshmukh |
| Subterm5: | Cabinet |
| Suboffice5: | First Deshmukh ministry |
| 3Blankname5: | Guardian Minister |
| 3Namedata5: | Nashik District |
| 2Blankname5: | Maharashtra Legislature |
| 2Namedata5: | Deputy Leader of the House (Maharashtra Legislative Assembly) |
| Predecessor5: | Gopinath Munde Gopinath Munde DCM Gopinath Munde DCM Gopinath Munde DCM Eknath Khadse |
| Successor5: | Himself R. R. Patil Himself DCM Sushilkumar Shinde CM Satish Chaturvedi |
| Office6: | Member of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly |
| Term Start6: | 2004 |
| 1Blankname6: | Speaker of the House |
| Constituency6: | Yevla |
| Term Start7: | 28 November 2019 |
| Term End7: | 30 December 2019 |
| Subterm7: | Cabinet |
| Suboffice7: | Thackeray ministry |
| Minister7: | Rural Development Water Resources Command Area Development Social Justice Ministry Special Assistance Ministry State Excise Food and Drug Administration |
| 1Blankname7: | Chief Minister |
| 1Namedata7: | Uddhav Thackeray |
| Status7: | Acting |
| Predecessor7: | Pankaja Munde Girish Mahajan Girish Mahajan Suresh Khade Ram Shinde Chandrashekhar Bawankule Sambhaji Patil Nilangekar Jayakumar Jitendrasinh Rawal |
| Successor7: | Hasan Mushrif Jayant Patil Jayant Patil Dhananjay Munde Dhananjay Munde Dilip Walse-Patil Nawab Malik Rajendra Shingne |
| Term Start8: | 8 December 2008 |
| Term End8: | 6 November 2009 |
| Minister8: | Public Works (excl. Public Undertakings) Tourism Other Backward Classes |
| 1Blankname8: | Chief Minister |
| 1Namedata8: | Ashok Chavan |
| Subterm8: | Cabinet |
| Suboffice8: | First Ashok Chavan ministry |
| Governor8: | S. C. Jamir |
| 3Blankname8: | Guardian Minister |
| 3Namedata8: | Nashik District |
| 2Blankname8: | Maharashtra Legislature |
| 2Namedata8: | Deputy Leader of the House (Maharashtra Legislative Assembly) |
| Predecessor8: | R. R. Patil Himself Vijaysinh Mohite-Patil Dilip Walse-Patil |
| Successor8: | Himself Himself Vijaykumar Krishnarao Gavit Shivajirao Moghe |
| Term Start9: | 1 November 2004 |
| Term End9: | 4 December 2008 |
| Subterm9: | Cabinet |
| Suboffice9: | Second Deshmukh ministry |
| Minister9: | Public Works (excl. Public Undertakings) |
| 1Blankname9: | Chief Minister |
| 1Namedata9: | Vilasrao Deshmukh |
| 2Blankname9: | Deputy CM |
| 2Namedata9: | R. R. Patil |
| Governor9: | Mohammed Fazal S. M. Krishna S. C. Jamir |
| Predecessor9: | Sushilkumar Shinde CM |
| Successor9: | Himself |
| Office10: | Leader of the Opposition Maharashtra Legislative Council |
| Term Start10: | 10 July 1996 |
| Term End10: | 9 June 1999 |
| Governor10: | P.C. Alexander |
| 2Blankname10: | Chairmen of the House |
| Predecessor10: | Sharad Pawar |
| Successor10: | Himself |
| Term Start11: | 10 June 1999 |
| Term End11: | 17 October 1999 |
| 2Blankname11: | Chairmen of the House |
| Predecessor11: | Himself |
| Successor11: | Nitin Gadkari |
| Office12: | Maharashtra Legislative Council |
| Term Start12: | 1996 |
| Term End12: | 2004 |
| Constituency12: | Elected by MLAs |
| Office13: | Cabinet Minister Government of Maharashtra |
| Term Start13: | 6 March 1993 |
| Term End13: | 14 March 1995 |
| Subterm13: | Cabinet |
| Suboffice13: | Fourth Pawar ministry |
| Minister13: | Housing Other Backward Classes Special Backward Classes Welfare |
| 1Blankname13: | Chief Minister |
| 1Namedata13: | Sharad Pawar |
| Predecessor13: | Javed Iqbal Khan Ramrao Adik Sushilkumar Shinde |
| Successor13: | Chandrakant Khaire Gopinath Munde DCM Gopinath Munde DCM |
| Term Start14: | 26 December 1991 |
| Term End14: | 22 February 1993 |
| Subterm14: | Cabinet |
| Suboffice14: | Sudhakarrao Naik ministry |
| Minister14: | Revenue Khar Land Development Majority Welfare Development |
| 1Blankname14: | Chief Minister |
| 1Namedata14: | Sudhakarrao Naik |
| Predecessor14: | Shankarrao Kolhe Shankarrao Kolhe Shankarrao Kolhe |
| Successor14: | Vilasrao Deshmukh Prabhakar Dharkar Shivajirao Deshmukh |
| Office15: | Maharashtra Legislative Assembly |
| Term Start15: | 1986 |
| Term End15: | 1996 |
| Constituency14: | Mazgaon |
| Office16: | Mayor of Mumbai |
| Term Start16: | 1985 |
| Term End16: | 1986 |
| Predecessor16: | D. M. Sukthankar, IAS |
| Successor16: | Datta Nalawade |
| Term Start17: | 1990 |
| Term End17: | 1991 |
| Predecessor17: | Sharad N. Acharya |
| Successor17: | Diwakar Raote |
| Birth Date: | 1947 10, df=y |
| Birth Place: | Nashik, Bombay State, India |
Chhagan Bhujbal (born 15 October 1947)[1] is an Indian politician from Maharashtra, who is the member of current Government of Maharashtra, headed by Eknath Shinde. Currently he is a member of 15th Legislative Assembly of Maharashtra from Yeola Assembly. He also served as the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra from 1999 – December 2003 and 2009 - 2010.[2] [3] [4] He earlier also served as Minister of Public Works Department and Minister of Home Affairs in Government of Maharashtra.
Before entering politics, Bhujbal was a vegetable vendor in Byculla Market where his mother had a small fruit shop.He started his political career with Shiv Sena in the 1960s. After being inspired by Shiv Sena philosophy of Balasaheb Thackeray, Bhujbal evolved into a hardcore Shiv Sainik. He was amongst initial members of the Shiv Sena.During his work as Corporator for the Mumbai corporation, Bhujbal maintained consistent contact, communication with rank and file of his constituency and its neighbourhood. Later, he was elected as Mayor of Mumbai twice. He was among the earliest MLAs of Shiv Sena elected from Mazgaon first in 1985 & again in 1990.[5]
He left Shiv Sena in 1991 and joined the Indian National Congress. Later, after the Indian National Congress leader Sharad Pawar decided to split from the Congress and form his own party, the Nationalist Congress Party, Bhujbal went along with him.[6] Bhujbal contested 2014 General Elections from Nashik Constituency and lost the race to Hemant Godse from Shiv Sena.[7]
Bhujbal is currently Member of Legislative Assembly from Yeola Constituency and has been incumbent since 2004.[8] [9] [10]
Bhujbal belongs to an OBC community.[11] He shares strong ties with Bihar politician Upendra Kushwaha. On various occasions, Kushwaha has spoken to media that he considers Bhujbal as well as Sharad Pawar as his mentor and relies on them for his political descisions.[12]
In December 2017, Enforcement Directorate attached assets worth 20.41 crore rupees belonging to the Bhujbal family under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.[13]
Nashik known to be a peaceful district, where law & order situation has collapsed under Bhujbals' political clout. It is witnessing recession in all sectors. Daylight robberies, armed attacks, chain-snatchings and setting of two- and four-wheelers on fire have become routine.[14]
In view of the criticism of the home department, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan sent police commissioner Vinod Lokhande on leave for his dismal performance, while Samir Bhujbal demanded a CID probe into the collapse of law and order. But a senior Indian Police Service (IPS) official said that when each and every police official has been appointed on the family's recommendations, why should the home department be blamed? Chhagan Bhujbal must accept responsibility and initiate measures to restore the people's confidence.[14]
In 2012, Mumbai Educational Trust (MET) filed a criminal complaint against Chhagan Bhujbal, alleging misuse and mismanagement of trust property for family-run furniture business and destruction of evidence in connection.[15]
On 23 Dec 2003, Chhagan Bhujbal resigned from the post of Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, owning the moral responsibility of attack on Alpha Marathi office in Andheri, Mumbai. A group of workers belonging to the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) attacked the office of Alpha Marathi, which belongs to the Zee group. They were upset with the channel for airing a satire on Bhujbal's alleged role in the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam. NCP president Sharad Pawar told the media on Tuesday night that Bhujbal had sought his permission to resign on moral grounds. Chhagan Bhujbal handed over his resignation to then Chief Minister of Maharashtra Sushilkumar Shinde.[16] [17]