Jarange withdraws from Maha elections

A day after pledging to contest nearly 25 seats in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra, Maratha quota agitation hero Manoj Jarange Patil on Monday announced withdrawal from the elections, attributing the decision to lack of support from Dalit and Muslim allies.

The activist (42), who earlier hit headlines for a hunger strike demanding OBC reservation for the Marathas of the state, had declared that he would challenge the candidates of the Mahayuti alliance.

Jarange had announced that he would support candidates challenging the MLAs of the BJP-led coalition in Marathwada, which consists of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Beed, Hingoli, Latur, Osmanabad, Parbhani, Nanded and Jalna.

But in a somersault today, Jarange said he will not back any candidate or party. He also asked his supporters who had filed nominations to retract from the poll fray. “I am not under any pressure from anyone. The community itself will decide who to back based on the party’s commitment to the Maratha cause,” Jarange said.

Jarange’s retraction is being viewed in Maharashtra assembly polls as the unpredictable X factor, with lack of clarity around which faction will actually benefit from the move as both Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi allies claimed advantage.

‘Most BJP rebels out of fray’

Meanwhile, BJP secretary Pankaja Munde said a majority of the party rebels had withdrawn from the Assembly fray. Monday was the last date of withdrawal of nominations.

PM Narendra Modi on Monday also attacked the leaders of the INDIA bloc for their silence on Shiv Sena UBT leader Sanjay Raut’s disparaging remarks against Shaina NC, BJP candidate from Mumbaidevi. “Mothers and daughters are in shock,” the PM said.