A recent book claims that under Ajit Pawar’s leadership, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) joined the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance to alleviate pressure from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), with senior leader Chhagan Bhujbal allegedly describing this relief as a “rebirth.” Addressing these claims in a press conference, Bhujbal strongly denied the allegations, stating, “I have never given such an interview. Claims that we joined the BJP to evade ED action have been circulating for some time. I was granted a clean chit in the Maharashtra Sadan case during Uddhav Thackeray’s government and celebrated the verdict by sharing sweets with Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar. I reject any suggestion that fear of jail drove my decisions,” Bhujbal affirmed, dismissing all claims linking ED pressure to the NCP-BJP alliance.
Bhujbal further added that he intends to read Rajdeep Sardesai’s book, 2024: The Election That Surprised India, and share it with his legal team for review. Providing additional context, he explained, “We had a letter with signatures from 54 legislators, none of whom had pending ED cases. Our decision to align was based on development goals across Maharashtra, focused on public welfare, without any connection to OBC or caste-based issues.”According to the book, Bhujbal allegedly said in an interview, “As an OBC leader, I felt targeted by central agencies. Had I been from an upper caste, I wouldn’t be treated like this. After two years in jail, I received another ED notice at 75. How many more investigations must I face? NCP leader Anil Deshmukh was also jailed on a ₹100 crore scam allegation and was reportedly told he’d only be released if he joined BJP. I suspect they intended the same for me, which kept me sleepless for years. Even now, ED won’t let go.”The book also claims Bhujbal shared, “The ED detained me, Deshmukh, and Malik. In those times, it felt like joining hands with Prime Minister Modi and the BJP was our only relief. We discussed our concerns with Sharad Pawar, who understood but did not favor the BJP alliance. Ultimately, under Ajit Pawar’s leadership, most NCP legislators opted to ally with the BJP, believing it would ease ED’s relentless pressure on us.”
Ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, following weeks of discord between the Mahayuti partners over the Nashik Lok Sabha seat in North Maharashtra, Bhujbal announced that he was stepping back from the electoral fray. This paved the way for the Shinde faction who fielded two-term MP Hemant Godse from the key seat. However, Rajabhau Waje from the NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction emerged victorious from Nashik. Elections to the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly will be held on November 20, and the votes will be counted on November 23.