Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar reaches out to Chhagan Bhujbal amid NCP rift over cabinet exclusion
Mumbai: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and NCP leader Ajit Pawar has reached out to senior party leader Chhagan Bhujbal after the latter expressed disappointment over being excluded from the state cabinet. Bhujbal, who had been vocal about his displeasure, revealed that Ajit Pawar called him recently to apologise for not reaching out sooner.
Bhujbal shared details of the conversation, stating, "Praful Patel and Sunil Tatkare invited me to the NCP party convention in Shirdi. I attended the event, and four days ago, Ajit Pawar called me to apologise for not contacting me earlier. He also invited me for a meeting to discuss the situation."
Despite his earlier criticism of the party leadership, Bhujbal appeared optimistic, saying, "I am a common party worker. It doesn’t matter if I am excluded from the cabinet. Chhagan Bhujbal is not finished yet."
Following Bhujbal’s remarks on his exclusion, senior NCP leaders attempted to defuse tensions, which ultimately led to Ajit Pawar reaching out to him directly.
Meanwhile, Bhujbal also met Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently but refrained from commenting on whether the meeting was part of Ajit Pawar’s efforts to pacify him.
With local body elections approaching, Ajit Pawar is looking to consolidate his leadership within the NCP and retain senior leaders like Bhujbal, who remains a key figure in Nashik politics.
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Bihar: Over 150 children fall ill after consuming 'mid-day meal' in Saharsa
Saharsa (PTI): More than 150 children were taken ill after allegedly consuming food that was part of the mid-day meal in a school in Bihar’s Saharsa district, a senior official said on Thursday.
The incident occurred at a middle school in Baluaha village of the district.
The official said that 115 children were undergoing treatment at the Sadar Hospital, while around 50 students were admitted to Mahishi Public Health Centre.
“We received information that several children fell ill after consuming the mid-day meal in Baluaha. The children were initially treated at the primary health centre, but later, many were referred to the Sadar Hospital,” Saharsa District Magistrate Deepesh Kumar told reporters.
“According to doctors, the health condition of the children has improved, but they will be kept under observation for some time. There is no need to panic. Some kids are having mild fever. They are being treated accordingly,” Kumar said.
Meanwhile, family members of some children claimed that a snake was found in the container in which cooked pulses was stored at the school.
Of the 545 students present in the school, 200 had already eaten their meals by the time the snake was spotted, and later complained of stomach ache and vomiting, they said.
Regarding the claims, the DM said food samples have been collected from the school.
“We will be able to comment on this only after the results of the tested samples arrive,” he said.
