The induction of veteran Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader and Other Backward Classes (OBC) heavyweight Chhagan Bhujbal on Tuesday, into the Maharashtra Cabinet is seen as a balancing act by the Mahayuti alliance ahead of the civic polls due later this year.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court directed the Maharashtra government to conduct the long-pending civic polls, possibly within a four-month timeframe. This means that all 29 municipal corporations in Maharashtra, along with 248 nagar parishads, 42 nagar panchayats, 32 zilla parishads and 336 panchayat samitis will go for polls, which are currently under the charge of appointed administrators.