The story of Chhagan Bhujbal is a stellar example of how hard work can get one to the top but a few wrong moves can make the entire career trajectory go on a downward spiral. Bhujbal, now 77, began his work life as a vegetable vendor in Mumbai and was among the early ones to join the Shiv Sena after Bal Thackeray founded the party in 1966. Known for his captivating oratory and a fiery attitude, Bhujbal closely rose up the ranks in the party, became a corporator and was twice elected as the mayor of Mumbai. A tiff with Manohar Joshi and other Sena leaders saw Bhujbal defect to the Congress in 1991 under Sharad Pawar’s leadership. By now, he had won a widespread following as an OBC leader. He followed his mentor Pawar to the NCP when the party was founded in 1999.
Bhujbal earned a reputation for being a daredevil politician—he gave fiery speeches, in the eighties when the Maharashtra-Belgaum border issue was on the boil, he entered Belgaum in disguise and hoodwinked the police for a while until he was arrested; as the home minister of Maharashtra, he is believed to have cracked down on the underworld and in 2000, he did what no one had done before—he put his original mentor, Thackeray, behind bars in a case related to the Sena party paper Saamna. Bhujbal founded the Maharashtra Education Trust that runs schools and colleges in Mumbai and Nashik.
His son and nephew entered politics as his successors. Son Pankaj is a two-term legislator from Nandgaon and nephew Sameer is a former Member of Parliament from Nashik and while they enjoy various positions in the NCP, neither has risen to the star status that Bhujbal enjoyed.
Bhujbal’s career was marred by numerous controversies and a jail term. He was alleged to have played a part in the stamp paper scam in which Abdul Karim Telgi was the mastermind; he faced charges in Rs 800 crore scam and even spent two years in jail until he was acquitted. In 2023, he supported Ajit Pawar when the NCP split. His fortunes have, however, dwindled. In 2024, despite news that he was keen on contesting the Parliamentary polls from Nashik, he was denied the opportunity.
Always flamboyant in his dressing sense and oratory, Bhujbal faced the ire of the Maratha community when he opposed the challenged the Maratha reservations during the ongoing agitation by Manoj Jarange-Patil. His son Pankaj’s nomination to the legislative council recently is seen as an attempt to pacify a sulking father who was overlooked for the Rajya Sabha elections in June.
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