Fresh agitation by Manoj Jarange ring alarm bells for Maha Yuti, Maha Vikas Aghadi

Mumbai: The fresh agitation by Maratha reservation campaigner Manoj Jarange-Patil ring alarm bells for both the ruling BJP-led Maha Yuti (NDA) and the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (I.N.D.I.A.) in the run up to the Vidhan Sabha polls in Maharashtra.

Jarange-Patil has threatened to put up candidates in all the 288 seats of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly.

In the just-concluded Lok Sabha elections, 26 of those elected from the 48 seats of Maharashtra, hail from the Maratha community.

These include Shrimant Shahu Chhatrapati Maharaj of Kolhapur (Congress) and Shrimant Chhatrapati Udayan Raje Bhosale of Satara (BJP) and who are descendants of legendary Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

While the Eknath Shinde-led government has opened two routes to opt for reservation - either 10 per cent quota under the Maharashtra State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Classes or as Kunbis, a sub-caste of the Maratha and covered under OBCs, Jarange-Patil is demanding the implementation of the formal notification of the ‘sage-soyare’, a Marathi term for ‘blood relatives from the family tree', which widens the scope of the quota.

While the Other Backward Classes (OBC) see Jarange-Patil’s move as a dilution of their quota, the Shivba Sanghatana founder is also in touch with groups Dhangars, Lingayats, Muslims - who too are demanding reservation.

From 8 June, Jarange-Patil has launched an indefinite hunger strike and is holding a sit-in with protestors at the Antarwali Sarathi village in Ambad tehsil of Jalna district.

This is the fifth hunger strike agitation by Jarange-Patil, who is in his forties.

The Maha Yuti has suffered extensive damage because of the Maratha reservation issue - particularly in the Marathwada region - where it lost seats like Beed, Jalna and Nanded.

During their closed-door meetings, Shinde and deputy chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar have agreed on the dent that it suffered because of the Maratha reservation issue.

While the five-phase Lok Sabha polls were underway, Jarange-Patil had given a call to defeat those who are against Maratha reservation and ‘sage-soyare’ notification - which did impact BJP and its allies.

Now, he seems to be upset with the Congress and has asked the grand old party not to betray the Maratha community.

Leader of the Opposition in Assembly Vijay Wadettiwar had opposed reservation to the Maratha community from the share of the OBCs. However, responding Jarange-Patil has said: “The Congress took votes from the Maratha people in the recent Lok Sabha elections and now they are speaking against our interests. They will face the consequences in the Vidhan Sabha elections." Newly-elected Congress MP from Jalna Kalyan Kale is trying to pacify Jarange-Patil and expressed Congress’ commitment to the cause of Maratha reservation.