By Amika

 Manoj Jarange-Patil has done yet another somersault. After vowing to field candidates in Maharashtra assembly elections and send the BJP-led Mahayuti packing, Jarange has gone into a complete reverse gear. Today, he made it clear that he will not field candidates neither ask Maratha community to indulge in tactis of defeating candidates who opposed Maratha reservation. 

Moments after his announcement, BJP which found every reason to raise the toast as it had fielded around 170 candidates -- some on the tickets of its two key allies, hailed the move, describing it sensible, appropriate and ''healthy'' of the Jarange's reservation agitation.

Jarange's announcement to ''run away'' -- as some Maratha intellectuals put it -- from the electoral field has come in less than 24 hours of his bravado. In last 15 months, he has carried out a clutch of fast unto deaths. He had threatened not to withdraw them, only to withdraw them after government promises and to ''honour the sentiments'' of the people.

Again at 11 pm on Sunday, he vowed to take revenge against the BJP-led Mahayuti which he said had brazenly cheated the Maratha community -- by denying reservation in the way it wanted. ''No one has cheated Maratha community, the way the present rulers have done,'' he said, while directing all his ire at the BJP-led Mahayuti. He broke down even as he called for revenge and emphasised that he would put out a list of constituencies and candidates before 7 am on Monday. He also indicated some of the seats in Beed, Jalna, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Pune where he would back the candidates

By 9.30 am on Monday as Maharashtra and the Maratha community had just woken up after a Diwali holiday, Jarange put to sleep his vow, his aggressive tones and his care-a-damn attitude. He sheepishly claimed that he has decided not to field candidates. He cited a tame reason said ''friendly parties'' had failed to send their list of candidates and therefore he could not announce the list candidates and constituencies. Last night, he did not mention anything about ''friendly parties.'' He therefore asked all Marathas to withdraw their nominations.

Till last night, he was calling for defeating candidates who had opposed Maratha reservation. ''We will field candidates and wherever we do not field candidates, we will defeat those who opposed Maratha reservation,'' he thundered.

By Sunday morning, he spun altogether different tale. While blaming the ''friendly parties'' --- from Muslim and Dalit communities, he said he was not under any pressure but this was a part of his ''Ganimi kava,'' or guerrilla tactis. He did not specify what guerrilla tactis he was talking about.

 For over a fortnight, Jarange had been talking of fielding candidates while striking alliance with Muslim and Dalit communities. He had last week invited religious leaders from Muslim and Dalit communities to Antarwali-Saraati to hold talks. After the talks, he had also held a press conference, where he tom-tommed about fielding common candidates. ''No caste can win election on its own. We need support of other communities,'' he said last week and then repeated it today as well.

Jarange's complete U-turn has sent Maratha community, which is 32 per cent of Maharashtra population, into a state of dizziness. They backed him, supported him, stood by him rock-solid since last 15 months when he shot to prominence after a lathi-charge in Antarwali-Saraati where he had staged a fast unto death demanding Maratha reservation. But it turned out to be a ''Black Monday'' for the community which seemed to ready to toe his line and give a befitting reply to the rulers. ''I knew for past few days that he will play such tactis. I know what all is happening in Antarwali-Saraati. If I speak about it, there will be a big backlash against me...Jarange's U-turn was expected. Politics is a different ball game which he should understand,'' said a prominent leader belonging to Maratha Kranti Morcha who has played a key role in the Maratha agitation.

Just before the announcement of the Maharashtra elections and even after that, political leaders, especially from the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, had been making a beeline to Antarwali-Saraati, holding talks with Jarange. The likes of Uday Samant and Abdul Sattar, who are Sena Ministers, Sanjay Shirsat, AIMIM State chief Imtiaz Jaleel, Ramesh Pokale, state vice-president of BJP Kisan Morcha, Congress leaders Prithviraj Chavan and Dheeraj Deshmukh have met him and held discussions

Both Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar have stayed away from Jarange. They have neither visited Antarali-Saraati nor met Jarange. When The Indian Express sought to know from him whether Fadnavis had invited him for talks, Jarange said,''That chapter is close for me.''

Jarange had been unsparing on Fadnavis in last 15 months. It all started after a lathi-charge in Antarwali-Saraati in August last year. Fadnavis statement that police were asked to carry out ''light lathi-charge'' at protestors irked Jarange. Next day, he held a press conference and attacked Fadnavis. He said Fadnvavis should be ousted not only from BJP but also from Maharashtra. Since then, at every press conference Jarange has attacked Fadnavis, holding him responsbile for depriving Marathas of the benefit of reservation. 

He has alleged that it was Fadnavis who was prevented even Chief Minister Eknath Shinde from fulling the demands made by him. 

Fadnavis on his part, without taking the name of Jarange, has been emphasising that it was the government under him that had given reservation to Maratha community which the Maha Vikas Aghadi failed to get Supreme Court's approval. He has been asking as to why Jarange has not been targetting those who have failed to give reservation since 1982, meaning the Congress and NCP governments.

Amidst the Jarange-stoked drama, the BJP camp which was quite nervous is suddenly in a mood to burst crackers and get a feel of real Diwali. ''This is a real Diwali news for us,'' said BJP leader from Beed district.

The Mahayuti, especially its big partner, BJP immediately breathing easy even as it described Jarange's decision appropriate and in the interest of the Maratha community. 

BJP spokesperson Pravin Darekar said,''Jarange has taken the right decision so far as his agitation for reservation is concerned. The reservation agitation was being politicised. Jarange was talking about fielding candidates and defeating candidates. This was causing confusion among the Maratha community...The decision will certainly help do away with the poison that was spreading in villages and cities. Jarange was trying to strike alliance with Muslim and Dalit communities. It seems they have not responded to his call. And that is why he could not announce the names of candidates.''

Darekar said the Maratha community was hurt by the talks Jarange was holding with the likes of AIMIM leader Imtiaz Jaleel. 

The BJP spokesperson said Mahayuti Government has taken several decisions in the interest of the Maratha community. ''And therefore Jarange said in fact make an appeal to support the Mahayuti,'' he said.