Chhagan Bhujbal

Chhagan Bhujbal
छगन भुजबळ
5th Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra
In office 18 October 1999 – 23 December 2003
Preceded by	Gopinath Munde
Succeeded by	Vijaysinh Mohite–Patil
8th Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra
In office 8 December 2008 – 10 November 2010
Preceded by	R R Patil
Succeeded by	Ajit Pawar
Minister of Home Affairs
In office 18 October 1999 – 23 December 2003
Preceded by	Gopinath Munde
Succeeded by	R R Patil
Minister of Public Works
In office 1 November 2004 – 26 September 2014
Preceded by	Vijaysingh Mohite-Patil
Succeeded by	Eknath Shinde
Personal details
Born	15 October 1947
Political party	Nationalist Congress Party(1999–present)
Other political affiliations	Indian National Congress (1991-1999), Shiv Sena (1960s-1991)

Chhagan Bhujbal (born 15 October 1947) is a ^[1] politician from the state of Maharashtra, India. Bhujbal was Minister of Public Works & Special Assistance Department, (Excluding Public Undertaking) Maharashtra State and Guardian Minister, Nashik District; Member of Legislative Assembly, Yeola Assembly ; Constituency. .;.^[2][3]

Political career

Bhujbal is an Other Backward Class (OBC) leader and has mass base in Maharashtra. He belongs to Mali caste. Bhujbal started his political career from Shiv Sena in the 1960s. Before entering politics he was a vegetable vendor in Byculla Market where his mother was selling fruits with a small shop. After Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from VJTI, Bombay and being influenced by Shivsena philosophy and more particularly, by the die-hard personality of Shivsena Supremo Shri Balasaheb Thackeray, Bhujbal was evolved into a hard core Shiv Sainik.

Bhujbal started his political career with the Shiv Sena party. He left the party 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.

Before he was elected as Shivsena Corporator in 1973, Bhujbal had already established his reputation as outspoken, dare devil and fearless leader of the Sena brigade. During his work as Corporator, Bhujbal maintained consistent contact, communication with rank and file of his constituency and its neighbourhood.

Between 1973–1984, Bhujbal became the undisputed leader of the Shivsena-led opposition in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation. He was amongst initial members of Shiv Sena and worked enthusiastically to spread Shiv Sena in nooks and corners of Maharashtra. He was duly rewarded for hard work put in party building.

He first became a Corporator in BMC & was later elected as Mayor of Mumbai. He was in Shivsena for 25 years and rose from Shakha Pramukh (Branch Head) and worked twice as Mayor of Mumbai. He was amongst earliest MLA's of Shivsena elected from Mazgaon first in 1985 & again in 1990.It is these endearing qualities that helped Bhujbal become the first twice-elected Mayor of India's urbs prima – Mumbai between 1985–1991.

To the city of Mumbai, where he spent his childhood and got his early bearings for survival despite all odds, Bhujbal wanted to offer a fitting payback on assuming Mayorship of the city. Being devoted to the cause of Marathi speaking community and Mumbai's beautification, he evolved his campaign for 'Sundar Mumbai, Marathi Mumbai'.

As part of this campaign, Bhujbal took bold steps to contain the rapid concretisation and pollution that was beginning to threaten Mumbai. He initiated a campaign for planting trees in open spaces and identifying public squares and gardens, while creating beautifully landscaped island-gardens at traffic signals and road dividers. This unique feat of injecting much-needed greenery into a polluted and cemented urban landscape earned him appreciation from all quarters.

With his landmark campaign to make Mumbai city green and pollution-free, Bhujbal actually pioneered the concept of public-private partnership, a revolutionary idea that would go a long way in helping the Mumbai Municipal corporation and later, the Government of Maharashtra

Enforcement Directorate proceedings

Bhujbal case ED attaches sugar mill land

The ED had earlier attached two properties belonging to the Bhujbal family under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The Enforcement Directorate on Monday attached a sugar mill and over 290 acres worth Rs.55 crore in Nashik in connection with a money-laundering case against the former Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, Chhagan Bhujbal, who was arrested last week.

Though Mr. Bhujbal was arrested on March 14, his nephew and co-accused Sameer was arrested on February 2. Both are currently in judicial custody.

Criticism

Allegations of deteriorating law & order situation in Nashik

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.^[4]

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.^[4]

Alleged misuse and mismanagement of trust property

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.^[5]

Attack on Alpha Marathi

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. ^{[6] [7]}

References

1. "Telgi scam: CBI grills Bhujbal". The Times Of India. 4 January 2005. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
2. Chhagan Bhujbal : Chhagan Bhujbal The Prominent Deputy Chief Minister of Maharastra
3. Official WebSite of Nashik District
4. "Bhujbals or cop chief to blame for Nashik woes?". Times of India. 31 January 2012.
5. "Bhujbal accused of 'destroying evidence'". Times of India. 4 February 2012. Retrieved 4 Feb 2012.
6. "NCP activists attack Zee TV office; Bhujbal resigns". The Hindu (Chennai, India). 24 December 2003.
7. "Bhujbal quits after TV office attack". The Times Of India. 24 December 2003.