Photo Courtesy: Marathi News

By Amika

Pune: Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil is an angry man. After his demand to provide reservation the way he wants it failed to find favour with the Mahayuti led Maharashtra Government, Mr Jarange-Patil has now decided to teach the rulers a lesson.

He has decided to defeat the candidates of the BJP-led Mahayuti in the state assembly elections. The polling for the assembly election is scheduled for November 20 while the counting will be held on November 23.

Mr Jarange has accused BJP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis of thwarting the bid by Maratha community to get reservation. Mr Jarange alleged Mr Fadnavis has refused to withdraw the cases filed against Maratha youths which has led to them finding difficult to get jobs. The activist has alleged that Mr Fadnavis has tried to destroy the lives of Maratha youths.If children of Maratha commuity die, Mr Fadnavis has nothing to do with,'' he said.

On his part, Mr Fadnavis has refused to get into any duel with Mr Jarange. 

Mr Fadnavis through television interviews, the latest one on Republic Channel of Mr Arnab Goswami, has tried to explain that it was he who had given Maratha community the reservation as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. He said after the exit of his government, Mr Uddhav Thackeray led Maha Vikas Aghadi Government has failed argue the case strongly in Supreme Court. As a result, he said the reservation given by him was not upheld by the apex court. Mr Fadnavis has never visited Antarwali-Saraati where Mr Jarange is camping for last 14 months and where he has repeatedly held fast unto deaths, only to withdraw later.

Mr Jarange said Mr Fadnavis was running the government, but he did not allow Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to ensure reservation for Maratha community.

Mr Jarange, at his press conferences held in Jalna on October 17 and 18, targetted Mr Fadnavis bigtime, saying he will expose his gameplan and also that of his party, the BJP, both of whom denied reservation to the Maratha community. He went to the extent of saying that he will do political encounter of BJP. ''If there is one person who has caused big pain to Maratha community, it is Mr Devendra Fadnavis,'' Mr Jarange has alleged.

On October 20, Mr Jarange will take a final decision whether to field candidates in the assembly elections or defeat the candidates fielded by BJP led Mahayuti.

There is a also a worry in the BJP and Mahayuti camp that if Mr Jarange goes ahead with its plan, they might suffer loss of seats, especially in Marathwada where the Maratha reservation factor had played a big role during the Lok Sabha elections. ''We are worried as to how the Maratha reservation card will playout in Marathwada...Our leaders have been trying to meet him and pacify him,'' he said.