Maratha quota: Have quit as Maharashtra Minister, says Chhagan Bhujbal

Chhagan Bhujbal, Nationalist Congress Party leader, on Saturday said he had resigned as the cabinet minister from the Eknath Shinde cabinet over the Marathas being given a quota from the OBC category.

"I had resigned a day before the first OBC rally took place on November 17 (2023). I first resigned and then only I went and participated in the rally, so there is no need to kick me out of the cabinet. I have already resigned,"said Bhujbal while addressing an OBC rally in Ahmednagar on Saturday.

Bhujbal's statements come in the backdrop of Shiv Sena MLAs (Shinde) like Sanjay Shirsat and Sanjay Gaikwad demanding that Bhujbal be 'kicked out of the cabinet' for opposing the Marath community to be included under the OBC category. Bhujbal, a leader of the OBC's has been opposing the move as including the Marathas would lead to the OBC category getting crowded for reservations and government jobs.


Bhujbal claimed that he remained silent after his resignation all this while at the request of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. " I was silent for 2.5 months after my resignation as both the CM and the Deputy CM told me not to disclose this anywhere... However now someone is talking of kicking me out and others about my resignation. I want tell all of them that I don't need to be kicked out as I have already resigned and Iam going to be working for the OBC's till the end."