Union Minister Raosaheb Danve has said he wishes to see a Brahmin as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Reacting to it, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said a transgender or an individual belonging to any caste can become the Chief Minister if the person has the backing of 145 MLAs in the assembly.
Mr Danve made the comment on Tuesday night in Jalna while addressing a rally organised by the Brahmin community on Parshuram Jayanti.
A guest present in the rally demanded that Brahmins be given more representation in local governing bodies.
In response, Mr Danve said, "I just don't want to see Brahmins as corporators or civic body heads, I wish to see a Brahmin as the Chief Minister of this state."
Mr Danve said he campaigned in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh for the assembly elections. "So much of casteism has come into politics and that it cannot be ignored. But there should be a leader who can keep communities together," he said.
On Thursday, when a reporter asked Ajit Pawar in Mumbai about Mr Danve's remarks, the Deputy Chief Minister said, "Anyone can become a Chief Minister. A tritiyapanthi (transgender) or a person from any caste and religion or any woman can be a Chief Minister by securing majority of 145 MLAs."
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