Bhujbal Demands Withdrawal of Maratha Quota GR, Flags OBC Concerns

 Mumbai: Senior OBC leader and Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Chhagan Bhujbal on Tuesday submitted an eight-page letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, demanding the withdrawal of a government resolution (GR) dated September 2, 2025, related to the Hyderabad Gazette. The resolution is widely seen as a step toward granting Kunbi caste certificates to members of the Maratha community, sparking concern among leaders from the Other Backward Classes (OBC).

Mr. Bhujbal, who has been vocal about his opposition to the move, attended the state cabinet meeting chaired by CM Fadnavis at Mantralaya. His letter strongly criticizes the GR, alleging it was issued “in haste” under pressure from “one powerful community” without due cabinet approval or public consultation.

“The GR dated September 2 was issued in haste, under the tremendous pressure of one powerful community and without it being put before the Cabinet… without considering the protests and objections of the OBC members across the state. We therefore have no choice but to write you seeking withdrawal of the said GR, or an appropriate clarification and/or modification of the same,” Mr. Bhujbal wrote.

The NCP leader, who also heads the Akhil Bhartiya Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad, argued that the resolution risks undermining the rights of over 350 OBC castes in Maharashtra. “In our view, the GR needs to be withdrawn or suitably modified so that it does not affect the reservation provided to the OBC category,” the letter stated.

Citing judicial precedent, Mr. Bhujbal said the GR deviates from established procedures for caste verification, particularly by creating a separate process for the Maratha community. “Having two different procedures for the same class i.e., OBCs, amounts to arbitrary action and invidious discrimination which has no nexus to a common object — verification and grant of caste certificate,” he noted, referencing various Supreme Court and High Court rulings.

Responding to the criticism, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, senior BJP leader and chairperson of the state cabinet’s sub-committee on Maratha reservation, said the GR was issued after careful deliberation. “The Cabinet sub-committee has taken decisions in connection with GRs after careful consideration and their implementation has already begun. Therefore, a question does not arise of rolling back these GRs,” he said.

Mr. Vikhe Patil added that the government is open to dialogue and will address Bhujbal’s concerns directly, if he has any “misunderstandings”.

Bhujbal’s letter follows a growing wave of discontent within the OBC community. A day earlier, Leader of the Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar convened a meeting of OBC organisations and announced plans for a protest march in Nagpur in early October.

The controversy highlights the deepening divide over the reservation issue in Maharashtra, with both Maratha and OBC leaders vying to protect their community’s interests.