Ajit Pawar-led NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured him of OBC representation in the cabinet.
Maharashtra Minister Chhagan Bhujbal (Photo:ANI)
Ajit Pawar-led NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday said Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis assured him of OBC representation in the cabinet.
The meeting came after Bhujbal met representatives of OBC organisations from across Maharashtra on Sunday. Bhujbal who represents the Yevla constituency in Nashik district, had skipped the recent winter session of Maharashtra Legislature in Nagpur and left for Nashik on the very first day of the session, after he failed to make it to the cabinet, even as 39 Mahayuti MLAs were sworn in as ministers.
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“I have told the Chief Minister everything. He has understood the entire issue. He understands that OBCs are upset. He also told me that he will definitely think about it. He (CM) said, currently, the atmosphere in the state is different due to holidays and he needs around 10 days. After that, we will meet again and find a good way out, he told me,” Chhagan Bhujbal said.
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Incidentally, OBC leader Bhujbal had opposed Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s demand for the Maratha community to be included in the Other Backward Class (Kunbi) category in order to be given government job reservations.
When Bhujbal was asked about the possibility of joining the BJP, he declined to say anything but reiterated that he had already voiced his concerns about being left out of the cabinet expansion.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar who heads the NCP to which Bhujbal belongs, reacted to Bhujbal’s meeting with CM Fadnavis and said, “This is an internal matter of our party. We will resolve the issue in our own way”.
Significantly, a few days earlier, Bhujbal had openly hinted that NCP leader Ajit Pawar had something to do with his not being included in the cabinet. Bhujbal had also cited his open opposition to Maratha activist Manoj Jarange Patil’s job reservation demand as the reason why Ajit Pawar chose not to include him in the cabinet.
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