Bhujbal indicates no plan to join Shiv Sena

Former Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) minister Chhagan Bhujbal has given clear indication that he will not join Shiv Sena. There were speculations that Bhujbal would join the Sena, since NCP did not support him while he was in custody, at the same time his son Pankaj’s close-door meeting with Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, after he got bail from police custody of the Enforcement Directorate. Speaking at concluding Halla Bol rally of Western Maharashtra region at Pune on Sunday, Bhujbal recalled his ideological differences with the Sena. “I left Sena due to its opposition to the Mandal Commission and that decision affected my life. I will never forget it,” said Bhujbal, the Other Backward Class leader. Bhujbal, who hails from Mali-OBC community, remained mass leader and had organised historical rallies of OBC in Bihar, Rajasthan and other parts of the country. Mandal Commission had recommended 52 per cent reservation to OBCs in education and government jobs that had erupted violence in national capital Delhi and other parts of the country against OBC and Mandal commission. The violence had took life of a youth during 1990s. Late Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray, who had never played caste politics had opposed to recommendations of Mandal Commission and hence Bhujbal quit Sena had joined the Congress and later the NCP when Sharad Pawar formed the new political outfit in 1999. Bhujbal said he has always supported reservation to Maratha community. “Maratha community is like elder brother to me,” said Bhujbal.