NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday found himself the subject of a conundrum in the Bombay High Court when an older petition he filed against the Eknath Shinde-BJP government in Maharashtra came up for hearing before the Chief Justice’s bench. Bhujbal followed NCP leader Ajit Pawar into the government last Sunday and is now a minister in the dispensation he sued.
Addressing the elephant in the room, Bombay High Court Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar asked Bhujbal’s lawyer to confer with his client on the fate of the petition, which accused the Eknath Shinde government of blocking developmental funds promised in the budget passed by the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition.
“Have your asked your client whether you want to proceed with or withdraw the petition,” asked Justice Jamdar.
Bhujbal’s lawyer Sambhaji Tope sought an adjournment and said the petition would be withdrawn since his client is now a minister in the government and “he won’t face the problem”.
The petition had stemmed from senior NCP leader Bhujbal’s allegation that funds for development work in his constituency Yevla in Nashik were not being disbursed since the Shiv Sena-BJP government came to power ousting the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena-Congress-NCP following in June 2022.
A few days after Shinde took oath, NCP leaders Ajit Pawar, Chhagan Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil met the Maharashtra CM, asking him to review his decision and disburse the funds for developmental works. But when funds were reportedly not released, several legislators from the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) approached the courts.
“On the basis of an earlier order in Rajesh Tope case, around 23 MLAs had filed a petition at Bombay and Aurangabad Bench of the High Court because funds were not being disbursed to them. These funds were allocated in the budget passed by the MVA (Maha Vikas Aghadi) government, but when the new government came to power, they stopped funds allocated as per the budget,” said Bhujbal’s lawyer Tope.
“We are waiting until July 17 when applications from Aurangabad will be transferred here, following which we might withdraw the plea because Bhujbal sahab is now a minister and he won’t face the problem. The court has asked me to take instructions from my client, but because I couldn’t reach out to him, I sought an adjournment,” added Tope.
Bhujbal’s case was the second instance this week of political developments leading to awkward moments in court.
On Thursday, a division bench of Justices Nitin Sambre and RN Laddha heard a plea filed by Hasan Mushrif, now a minister in the Ajit Pawar faction, for quashing an FIR against him in Kolhapur on charges of cheating. The public prosecutor in the case, JP Yagnik, sought an adjournment to take new instructions, citing “change in circumstances”.
Amused, the court asked the lawyer in lighter vein whether he was appearing for the accused or the State.
The NCP, founded by Sharad Pawar in 1999, witnessed a split on July 2 with Ajit Pawar, claiming support of over 40 MLAs and joining the Shiv Sena-BJP coalition government in Maharashtra. Nine NCP MLAs, including Bhujbal, were sworn-in as ministers in the Maharashtra government at a surprise cabinet expansion on Sunday.
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