Resigned as minister on Nov 16: Bhujbal

In his resignation letter, he said, mentioned he was resigning as his colleagues did not approve of his stand on Maratha reservation

Pune: Days after the NCP’s Chhagan Bhujbal and the BJP’s Narayan Rane staunchly opposed the state government’s decision to issue a notification to placate Maratha activist Manoj Jarange-Patil, exposing fault lines within the ruling alliance, Bhujbal on Saturday claimed that he had tendered resignation as minister on November 16, 2023, but it was not accepted.

Mumbai, India - Nov. 24, 2023: Chhagan Bhujbal Member of the Maharashtra Assembly pose for the photos during interview in Mumbai, India, on Friday, November 24, 2023. (Photo by Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times) (Hindustan Times)

HT had, on January 31, reported about the rebellion by Bhujbal and Rane. Speaking at an OBC rally in Ahmednagar – the first since the state government issued the notification on January 27, stating Kunbi certificates be issued to those with Kunbi antecedents – Bhujbal claimed he did not speak about it thus far because chief minister Eknath Shinde and deputy chief minster Devendra Fadnavis had asked him not to do so.

“But now, some people are saying kick Bhujbal out of cabinet for speaking in favour of OBCs,” said the minister for food, civil supply and consumer affairs, referring to Shiv Sena’s Buldhana MLA Sanjay Gaikwad, who sought his expulsion from the cabinet. In his resignation letter, he said, he had that mentioned he was resigning as his colleagues did not approve of his stand on Maratha reservation.

Bhujbal questioned the recently concluded survey to gauge backwardness of Marathas by the Maharashtra State Backward Classes Commission during his speech, saying “lies” were recorded by enumerators while collecting information. He alleged that enumerators merely asked respondents if they belonged to the Maratha community and filled up details for all 180 questions in the list based on the response. “There are instances where a person has bungalow, but the survey mentions that he lives in a hut.” he said.

The survey was concluded on February 2. Enumerators recorded responses on a mobile app for all queries only for Marathas and open category families but did not ask any questions to families in the reserved category, said officials.