Concerned about being denied a berth in the new Maharashtra Cabinet, senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Chhagan Bhujbal left Nagpur for his hometown Nashik on the first day of the winter session of the state legislature on Monday.
Before leaving for Nashik, Bhujbal said it was a gift for him to reject the cabinet membership to take on Maratha social activist Manoj Zarange-Patil. Bhujbal, a senior OBC leader, opposed Jarange-Patil’s demand to grant OBC status to all Marathas, leading to a very public face-off between the two.
Talking to reporters at Vidhan Bhawan, Bhujbal said, “Seven-eight days ago they (NCP leadership) asked me if I wanted to go to the Rajya Sabha to which I said no. By resigning from the Legislative Assembly and going to the Rajya Sabha, it is a betrayal of the voters of my constituency. I asked for Rajya Sabha a few months ago but was rejected then. It was only then that my party leadership called me.”
“I stood up for the OBC community when I was being attacked from all sides…this (rejection of cabinet membership) could be a reward for that,” said the former minister in the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayutia government.
Bhujbal said he was returning to Nashik on Monday as many activists and well-wishers were waiting for him in his hometown. He did not specify whether he would return to Nagpur for the remaining session of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.
CPN Minister Hasan Mushrif has said that the party leadership will talk to Bhujbal. “I am confident that our party leaders will talk to him (Bhujbal) and solve all the problems,” Mushrif said.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who left for Delhi on Monday, was not available for comment till the time of writing this report.
All is not well in the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena as discontent grows in the NCP.
After Sena MLA Narendra Vondekar expressed his displeasure at being denied a ministerial post and resigned from the party post, his party colleague Vijay Sivatare – one of the main contenders for the ministerial post who was not considered – also spoke about his displeasure.
‘I will not become a minister after two and a half years. Maharashtra has been transformed into Bihar. Instead of maintaining regional balance, priority has been given to ethnic equation. I am not hurt by not being given a ministerial position, but I am hurt by the treatment I received from the three leaders (of Mahayutika). We are not the slaves of these leaders,” said Shivtare, Sena MLA from Purandar and former minister.
Sources said senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar, another leader who was denied a ministerial berth, did not attend the first day of the winter session of the Maharashtra Assembly. Independent MLA Ravi Rana, who is hoping for a ministerial post, was also not present on the first day.
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