Mumbai: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil on Sunday refuted talk of his stir not being a factor in the Maharashtra assembly polls, which were swept by the Mahayuti comprising the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP. The Mahayuti won 40 out of 46 seats in Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) stronghold Marathwada region, including all five in Jalna, the epicentre of Jarange’s stir for quota for the Maratha community in jobs and education.
During the Lok Sabha elections, Jarange’s agitation had hurt the Mahayuti alliance, causing them to lose in seven out of eight constituencies in the region. However, this time, his influence seemed absent. Addressing the situation, Jarange clarified his position and criticised those who suggested the failure of the ‘Jarange factor.’
Statement Of Maratha Quota Activist Manoj Jarange Patil
“We did not support any political party. We were not even in the fray. I had freed the Maratha community from any restrictions, asking them to vote for whichever party they chose. Maratha voters did what they thought was right, and that played a role in the success of the Mahayuti government. The Maratha community is spread across all parties, and they worked hard wherever they were,” Jarange explained.
“There was no Jarange factor. If there had been, Mahayuti would not have been so successful,” he said further stating that the claims of ‘Jarange factor’ and ‘Maratha factor’ would take a lifetime to understand.
He added that 204 members from the Maratha community were elected. He also responded to the criticism leveled against him, saying, “They used sweet words to win Maratha votes. Now they are in power, they must govern responsibly. The Maratha community has no special demands from anyone. It doesn’t matter who comes to power; we owe them nothing.”
