Maharashtra polls: Jarange to field candidates in Maratha-dominant constituencies    

Quota Activist Manoj Jarange on Sunday announced that he will field Maratha candidates for the Maharashtra assembly elections in constituencies where the community has a strong presence.

Addressing a gathering at Antarwali Sarti village in Jalna district, Jarange said he would field Maratha candidates only in places where the community has a chance of winning.

He said his group would back other candidates supporting the Maratha cause in segments reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST).

In constituencies where the Maratha community is unlikely to secure a win, his group will support candidates regardless of party, caste, or religion as long as they commit to backing the reservation demand, he said.

The activist said candidates who agree to the above demand must sign a written pledge.

Election to the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly will be held on November 20, and votes will be counted on November 23.

Jarange urged potential candidates to file their nominations and said the final decision on their candidacy would be made on October 29.

If a candidate is requested to withdraw, they must comply and withdraw their nomination forms, he said.

The activist accused Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of undermining the Maratha reservation movement and appealed to the community to rally behind the quota demand under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category and to give him the mandate to continue the fight for their rights.

Jarange has been demanding reservations for Marathas under the OBC category, along with the enforcement of draft notifications from the Hyderabad, Bombay, and Satara gazettes, which declared the Maratha community as Kunbi, an agrarian group eligible for reservations and benefits under the OBC category.