Maharashtra minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who has accused the state government of facilitating the “backdoor entry” of the Maratha community into the OBC quota, revealed that he submitted his resignation from the state cabinet in November according to a report from The Indian Express.

Speaking at a rally, Bhujbal, a member of the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the Nationalist Congress Party stated, “Many leaders from the opposition, even leaders from my government say that I should resign. Someone said Bhujbal should be sacked from the cabinet.”

He added, “I want to tell leaders from the opposition, government, and my party that ahead of the OBC Elgar rally held in Ambad on 17 November, I resigned from the cabinet on 16 November and then went to attend that event.”

He mentioned keeping quiet for over two months as the chief minister and deputy chief minister requested him not to discuss the matter publicly.

He further continued, “There is no need for sacking. I have tendered my resignation. I will fight for the OBCs till the end.”

His comments came amid demands for his resignation as the food and civil supplies minister due to his criticism of the state government’s handling of the Maratha quota issue.

Bhujbal had earlier accused the government of yielding to the demands of Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange, leading to calls for his removal by a Shiv Sena MLA from the Eknath Shinde camp.

Bhujbal clarified his stance by saying, “We do not oppose the reservation for the Maratha community, but it should be provided separately, not under our (OBC) quota.”

He also criticised the flawed process of gathering data to assess the Maratha community’s backwardness and expressed concerns about politicians fearing a loss of Maratha votes, despite OBCs constituting a significant portion of the state population.