Maratha quota: Chhagan Bhujbal junks claims of being sidelined in party, says no proposal to join BJP

Chhagan Bhujbal. File Pic

Maharashtra minister and senior Ajit Pawar-led NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Friday dismissed claims of being sidelined within the party, an ally of the ruling coalition, despite criticising the state government's handling of the Maratha quota agitation, reported the PTI.

According to the news agency, Chhagan Bhujbal, the Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Protection Maharashtra Minister, asserted his standing within the party, saying that no one has opposed him and that Ajit Pawar, deputy chief minister, supported his advocacy for the Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

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Responding to Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad's call to 'kick' him out of the state cabinet, Chhagan Bhujbal, a prominent Other Backward Classes leader, acknowledged the right of anyone to demand his resignation, emphasising his longstanding commitment to the OBC cause without expecting anything in return.

"But whether to keep me in the cabinet or not is the prerogative of the chief minister (Eknath Shinde). I don't think he will kick me out because I used to be a leader of his mentor Anand Dighe in Shiv Sena," Chhgana Bhujbal said, adding the CM though has the authority to remove him from the cabinet anytime.

The 76-year-old politician was a prominent figure in the undivided Shiv Sena and quit the Bal Thackeray-founded party more than three decades ago.

"I want to tell Sanjay Gaikwad that I was a senior professor at the 'Shiv Sena institute' where you studied," the NCP (Ajit Pawar group) leader said, stressing the need for toning down the language of criticism.

Gaikwad had said Chhagan Bhujbal should be "kicked" out of the cabinet for opposing the decision of the state government to provide Kunbi (OBC) certificates to Marathas.

Furthermore, he denied receiving any proposals to join the BJP, countering activist Anjali Damania's tweet claiming that such offer had been made to him.

"I have been working for the rights of OBCs for several years. I don't seek anything in return. No proposal has been offered to me to join the BJP," he affirmed, as per the PTI.

Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis asserted Chhagan Bhujbal is not joining the BJP.

Meanwhile, Devendra Fadnavis, took a jibe at activist Anjali Damania over her tweet on Chhgan Bhujbal, the news agency reported.

The deputy CM remarked, "We take decisions of our party and not Anjali Damania. Anjali Damania is in contact with Supriya tai (NCP-Sharad Pawar group MP Supriya Sule) and hence she must have posted a tweet like this. However, Bhujbal saheb is with his party and we are in our party."

Earlier, Bhujbal had questioned the "backdoor entry" of Marathas into the OBC category and said he was not satisfied with the state government's decision (to grant Kunbi caste certificates to Marathas) to resolve the reservation issue.

"The OBCs are having a feeling that they have lost their reservations as Marathas will take the benefits," he had said.

The Maratha community, led by activist Manoj Jarange, has been agitating for inclusion in the OBC category to avail quota benefits in government jobs and educational institutes.

(with PTI inputs)