Activist Manoj Jarange Urges Maratha Community To Select Lok Sabha Candidates By March 30
Quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil said he was against fielding of many candidates from the Maratha community in one constituency as it would harm the community and divide votes.
New Delhi: Quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil on Sunday appealed to the Maratha community to choose candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra. Addressing a gathering of Maratha community members, at his native Antarwali Sarati village in Jalna district. Jarange urged them to consider fielding independent candidates before March 30, citing the community's substantial influence over 17-18 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state. "With their influence, they can garner the support of not only Muslims and Dalit communities but also wider section of the society", Jarange said.
Elections for Maharashtra's 48 Lok Sabha seats will span five phases on April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, and May 20, with vote counting slated for June 4.
"I don't know politics and am not interested in it, Jarange said. "Maratha community members should choose candidates, irrespective of caste and religion and those not belonging to any political party, before March 30. A decision on fielding them as independents will be taken subsequently", PTI quoted Jarange as saying.
The activist said he was against fielding of many candidates from the Maratha community in one constituency as it would harm the community and divide votes. He also brought attention to the implementation of the draft notification concerning 'sage soyre' (blood relatives of Kunbi Marathas), saying that the responsibility primarily lies with the state government rather than the Centre.
He proposed that the Maratha community consider fielding candidates in the assembly polls to advocate for their reservation demand. However, during the meeting, community members expressed a strong preference for raising the issue during the Lok Sabha polls. In response, Jarange also agreed that candidates should be fielded as independents in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
The draft notification was issued in January for issuing certificates to eligible Kunbi (OBC) Marathas. Jarange said the Maratha community held a strong affection for Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, but despite their trust in him, the draft notification has not been implemented.
Expressed Dissatisfaction Over Maratha Quote Issue
Notably, expressing dissatisfaction over the state government's handling of the Maratha quote issue, he accused Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of employing tactics to stifle the reservation movement. He condemned the registration of cases against protesters seeking Maratha reservation.He also accused the government of attempting to obstruct the participation of Maratha community members in the meeting at Antarwali Sarati on Sunday.
Jarange reiterated his opposition to the 10 per cent quota granted to the Maratha community recently by the Maharashtra legislature under a special category and said they want reservation under the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.
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