Known for his pro-Mandal stance, which led him to quit the Shiv Sena in the early ’90s, Bhujbal has maintained his identity as an OBC leader. In the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, a party primarily dominated by the Marathas, Bhujbal is aggressively taking on his own government.
Chhagan Bhujbal, Nationalist Congress Party leader, resigned as a cabinet minister over the Marathas being given a quota from the OBC category. Bhujbal, an OBC leader, opposed including the Marathas in the OBC category due to concerns about overcrowding for reservations and government jobs. Shiv Sena MLAs, like Sanjay Shirsat and Sanjay Gaikwad, demanded Bhujbal be kicked out of the cabinet for his opposition. Bhujbal clarified that he had already resigned and would continue working for the OBCs.