Chhagan Bhujbal is a veteran in Maharashtra politics.
Nationalist Congress Party's Chhagan Bhujbal was among the ministers who took oath as a minister in the Maharashtra cabinet yesterday along with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, who was sworn-in as state's Chief Minister. Other leaders who took oath include Nationalist Congress Party's Jayant Patil, Shiv Sena's Subhash Desai, Eknath Shinde and Congress' Balasaheb Thorat and Nitin Raut.
Chhagan Bhujbal, a veteran in Maharashtra politics, has the rare distinction of being associated with all the three major non-BJP parties in the state.
The 72-year-old NCP leader had also been a member of the Shiv Sena and the Congress at different times.
Mr Bhujbal, who represents the Other Backward Class (OBC) community, started his career with Shiv Sena.
He served as the Mayor of Mumbai two times - 1985-86 and 1990-91.
He quit the Shiv Sena in 1991 and joined the Congress, causing a stir in state politics.
Mr Bhujbal resigned from the Congress in 1999 and joined hands with Sharad Pawar who formed the Nationalist Congress Party the same year and rose to become the Deputy Chief Minister.
In 2003, he resigned from the post after attack on alpha Marathi office in Mumbai.
He then held other key portfolios including home affairs and public works in the Congress-NCP government.
He was re-appointed as Deputy Chief Minister in December 2008.
In 2012, Mumbai Educational Trust filed a criminal complaint against him alleging misuse and mismanagement of trust property.
Uddhav Thackeray took oath as the 18th Maharashtra chief minister, a month after election results were declared in the state. He is leading a government of the Maha Vikas Aghadi, an alliance of Shiv Sena, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and the Congress.