Rejected RS seat offer week before Maharashtra cabinet expansion: Bhujbal

Senior NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal, who is disappointed at not being included in the new Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, has claimed he was offered a Rajya Sabha berth eight days ago but he rejected it.

Talking to reporters in Nagpur on Monday, Bhujbal, the legislator from Yeola in Nashik district, said he rejected the Rajya Sabha seat proposal as it would amount to betrayal with his assembly constituency which he won in the state polls last month.

“When I wanted to be in the Rajya Sabha earlier this year, I was told that I should fight the assembly elections. I was offered the Rajya Sabha berth eight days ago which I rejected. I said I could consider the Rajya Sabha option after one or two years but not immediately,” the former state minister added.

Bhujbal said he had not spoken to NCP head and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar after being denied the state cabinet berth.

A prominent OBC leader, Bhujbal claimed he had been excluded from the cabinet because he took on activist Manoj Jarange, who has been demanding reservation for the Maratha community in jobs and education.

“I stood up for the Other Backward Classes community when the Maratha quota activist was demanding its inclusion in the OBC category. The Ladki Bahin scheme and OBCs helped the Mahayuti win the elections,” he said.

Asked about his future course, Bhujbal, who left for Nashik after the assembly session proceedings in Nagpur were adjourned for the day on Monday, said, “Let’s see. Jahan nahi chaina, wahan nahi rehna.” Bhujbal, who served as the food and civil supplies minister in the previous Mahayuti government, said he was upset at not being included in the new cabinet.

“I am an ordinary political worker. It doesn’t matter if I am sidelined or rewarded,” he said.

“Ministerial berths come and go, but I cannot be finished off,” the NCP leader added.

A total of 39 legislators from Mahayuti allies  - BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP - were sworn in on Sunday in the first cabinet expansion of the Devendra Fadnavis-led government. Ten former ministers were dropped from the cabinet, and 16 new faces have been introduced.

Former ministers Bhujbal and Dilip Walse Patil of the NCP and Sudhir Mungantiwar and Vijaykumar Gavit of the BJP were some prominent leaders who didn’t make it.