Bhujbal to be felicitated on Oct 15

Mumbai, Oct 3 (UNI) The 61st birthday of Maharashtra PWD Minister and senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal will be celebrated at a grand event in Shivaji Park in Central Mumbai on October 15, announced Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Praful Patel today.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Patel said Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh will be present on the occasion.

He said the national leaders of other parties including former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Dr Farooq Abdullah, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister Ram Vilas Paswan have also been invited but their presence is yet to be confirmed.

Mr Patel said Shiv Sena executive president Uddhav Thackeray and BJP leader Gopinath Munde have alo been invited, but their presence is also yet to be confirmed.

Asked whether the invitation to Uddhav was linked to the withdrawal of case by Mr Bhujbal against Sena chief Bal Thackeray today, Mr Patel said the felicitation programme of Mr Bhujbal was planned earlier and it had nothing do with the withdrawal of the case.

He also ruled out the fears that Mr bhujbal will join any other party.

''Mr Bhujbal is having the same weightage in the party,'' he added.

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