Maratha Activist Manoj Jarange Patil: 'Quota By June 6, Or Community Prepared To Contest Assembly Polls'

In February, both houses of state legislature passed a bill providing 10% reservation for the Maratha community in education & government jobs. Maharashtra assembly polls due later this year.

Manoj Jarange said, he is not contesting the election this time, but the Maratha community knows who is going to win and lose. ( Image Source :PTI )

Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange Patil said on Sunday that Maratha community members may contest the Maharashtra assembly elections if they are not given reservation by June 6. 

In Maharashtra, the Lok Sabha elections are scheduled to be held in five phases from April 19 to May 20. The state elections are due to be held later this year. 

According to a PTI report, speaking to the media, Jarange said he is not contesting the Lok Sabha election but the Maratha community knows who is going to win and lose. He criticised the state's Mahayuti government and accused it of betraying the Maratha community by postponing crucial decisions on the reservation issue for seven months.

He said all political parties have cheated the Maratha community for 40 years. "We are prepared to contest the assembly elections wholeheartedly," he was quoted as saying by PTI.

He asserted that if they do not get reservation by June 6, two days after the Lok Sabha election results, they will prepare for the assembly elections. He added that he may start fasting on June 5. 

In February, both houses of the state legislature unanimously passed a bill providing 10% reservation for the Maratha community in education and government jobs.

He then appealed to the Maratha community members to come out in large numbers to vote in the Lok Sabha polls, but also clarified that "we are not involved in politics".

“Defeat them with such force that they fear the Maratha vote. Defeating the candidates is a victory in itself,” without specifying a party or a candidate. 

He added: "We have not aligned with any party, neither the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi nor the ruling Mahayuti. We have not fielded any candidate and neither supported anyone."