Maharashtra Assembly Elections: Maratha Quota Activist Manoj Jarange-Patil Weighs Decision On Fielding Candidates

Pune: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil said on Wednesday that he is still not sure whether he wants to field candidates in the assembly election.

He said he will take some more days to assess the situation in the state before coming to a decision.

If Jarange-Patil decides to field candidates, it could make a huge difference to the fortunes of both the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). He had earlier said he could nominate as many as 200 candidates.

Jarange-Patil held a number of rallies in Marathwada and western Maharashtra in the run-up to the general election, which adversely affected the prospects of the BJP-led Mahayuti.

In Marathwada the alliance’s performance was dismal; it won just one seat – Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

In Beed, which witnessed quota-related violence last year, the BJP’s high-profile candidate, Pankaja Munde, lost. This despite her campaign being led by her cousin and NCP (Ajit Pawar) leader Dhananjay Munde.

The defeat was attributed to the Maratha agitation and the rallies held by Jarange-Patil.

On Wednesday the activist told journalists: “I have decided that we will do a proper study of the situation in districts where we think we can make a mark. It looks like the election is going to get delayed, so we have time. We will also scan all the probable candidates and if we want to contest, we will do it properly. I feel very dejected that the government has not been taking keen interest in solving the problems of our youngsters. We will take some time to decide if we want to contest and how many seats we will contest.”