Yeola Constituency Controversy: Chhagan Bhujbal hits back at Sharad Pawar

News Summary: 

• Chhagan Bhujbal disagrees with Pawar's apology, asserting that the people of Yeola are content with him.
• Bhujbal and other NCP rebels joined the NDA government in Maharashtra led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
• The split in the NCP and the formation of the NDA government shake the political landscape in Maharashtra.

Mumbai (Maharashtra): Dissident NCP leader and state minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Sunday responded to Sharad Pawar apologising to the people of the former's Assembly constituency, Yeola, for making him an MLA, saying that if kept apologising in this manner, he will have to visit many other places and express regret similarly.

Split in the NCP and Yeola Constituency
Earlier, Sharad Pawar, who now heads the rival NCP faction following the split in the ranks triggered by his nephew, Ajit Pawar, said at a rally in Nashik's Yeola that his decision to appoint Bhujbal as the party's candidate from the constituency was wrong.

Sharad Pawar's Apology
Apologising to the people for his decision to field Bhujbal from Yeola, Pawar senior said, "I came here to apologise to all of you (people in Yeola). My decision was wrong, you trusted me and voted for my party but my decision (of having Chhagan Bhujbal as an MLA from Yeola) failed."

Bhujbal's Response
Addressing the media persons on Monday, Bhujbal said, "He (Sharad Pawar) should not have apologized as people are happy here (in Yeola). They elected me four times. If he apologises like this then he will have to go to many other places and express regret similarly." Formerly a key aide of the NCP patriarch, Bhujbal was among the 8 NCP rebels who joined the NDA government of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, along with Sharad Pawar's nephew and former deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.

Political Fallout
Maharashtra was rocked by a fresh political quake after Ajit Pawar split the NCP down the middle and joined the NDA government in the state along with 8 fellow MLAs and top leaders, including Bhujbal, Praful Patel and Hasan Mushrif. While Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister in the Shinde government, his fellow dissidents were also sworn in as ministers.

(With ANI inputs)