Maharashtra Assembly Elections: In what could compound problems for the ruling Mahayuti alliance led by the BJP, Manoj Jarange Patil, the face of the Maratha reservation protest, has released a list of 28 names of "willing" candidates for 16 assembly seats in the Mumbai suburban and Mumbai City districts. There are a total of 36 seats in the two districts. The candidates have been named under the banner of Jarange's Maratha Kranti Morcha.
The 'dabbawalas' of Mumbai, a community of people who deliver hot lunchboxes to workers in Mumbai, are likely to play a crucial role in the Maharashtra assembly elections for the MKC. Most of the dabbawalas in Mumbai are from the Maratha community.
Manoj Jarange Patil, who has been continuously agitating on the issue of the Maratha reservation, has boycotted all parties and has started preparations to field candidates from the Maratha community in the elections.
Jarange had earlier said MKC was having difficulty in shortlisting candidates as several people were vying for multiple seats. As such, he would announce the names of the candidates being backed by the MKC on the last day of the nomination filing.
The seats that the MKC is backing candidates on are Byculla, Anushakti Nagar, Jogeshwari, Shivadi, Dindoshi, Bhandup, Chembur, Chandivali, Kalina, Ghatkopar East, Mumba Devi, Wadala, Mankhurd, Kandivali, Magathane, and Andheri East.
At a press conference last week, Manoj Jarange Patil said that Marathas must contest seats that they have a high chance of winning. "We should all be on the same page and our thoughts must be aligned. The best choice we have is to contest selectively and field candidates only in regions where we have a high possibility of winning. However, we must support candidates regardless of their party, caste or religion if they are committed to supporting our cause,” he was quoted as saying by The Hindu.
Why MKC-Backed Candidates Could Pose a Threat To BJP
A few months ago, Manoj Jarange had threatened to launch a political war by fielding candidates in the Maharashtra Assembly polls if the Mahayuti government of the BJP, the Shiv Sena, and the NCP failed to give in to their demands. The Mahayuti has already had to bear the brunt of the Maratha quota protests in the Marathwada region in eastern Maharashtra.
With nearly 30% of Maharashtra's population composed of Marathas, the BJP will be worried by Jarange's latest move. The Mahayuti will be especially concerned about the 48 assembly seats in the Marathwada region as its performance in the Lok Sabha elections was extremely worrisome. The Mahayuti lost 7 of the 8 seats in the Marathwada region.
Although Jarange's move could also lead to a vote share division of the MVA, the Opposition alliance is confident of winning at least 150 seats and will look to keep the Lok Sabha election momentum going.