Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Monday said he has decided not to back any candidates in the upcoming Maharashtra Legislative Assembly elections, reported The Indian Express.
This came hours after Jarange-Patil initially announced plans to endorse over 25 candidates in the polls to oppose Maharashtra’s ruling Mahayuti alliance.
The Mahayuti coalition comprises the Bharatiya Janata Party and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s faction of the Shiv Sena.
Speaking from his village Antarwali Sarati in Jalna district on Monday, Jarange-Patil emphasised that he remains committed to the cause of Maratha reservation, even as he asked the Maratha community to make independent voting decisions in the upcoming polls.
Just hours earlier, Jarange-Patil had delivered a speech, vowing to hold the BJP-led coalition accountable for what he called a betrayal of the Maratha community over reservations.
At a late-night press conference on Sunday, he pledged to support 25 candidates, with discussions underway for more, intending to secure backing from Maratha, Dalit and Muslim voters. He accused the ruling government of humiliating the Maratha community.
By Monday morning, Jarange-Patil had changed course.
“We have decided not to contest the elections,” he said, according to The Indian Express. “I have asked aspirants to withdraw their nominations…I have told my community that this is not our family business, we might be misled,” Jarange-Patil told reporters.
The activist denied that there was pressure on him to not endorse any candidates ahead of the Maharashtra elections.
The announcement received a positive response from the ruling coalition, with BJP spokesperson Pravin Darekar calling it a “sensible decision”.
Polling for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly will take place in a single phase on November 20. The counting of votes will take place on November 23, alongside that of the Jharkhand elections.
In the months leading up to the elections, Jarange-Patil led several agitations seeking reservations for Marathas in education and jobs. He went on six hunger strikes to press for the demand.
Several political analysts have argued that the Maratha agitation over the past year contributed to the defeat of many candidates of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance in the recent Lok Sabha polls in Maharashtra.
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