Jarange Warns Congress of ‘Consequences’ in Assembly Polls

Mumbai: Maratha activist Manoj Jarange on Monday warned Congress that it will face consequences in the state assembly elections if it opposes his demand for Maratha reservation from the OBC category. Newly elected Congress MP Kalyan Kale met Jarange who has started an indefinite hunger strike for his demand. Expressing disappointment over the Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar’s stand to oppose Maratha reservation in the OBC category, Jarange said Congress won Lok Sabha seats because of Maratha votes. If it starts opposing the Maratha reservation, all of its candidates will be defeated in assembly elections, he said.

The newly-elected Jalna Congress MP met Jarange at Antarwali Sarathi village, where the activist has undertaken an indefinite fast. Monday was the third day of his agitation. Kale met the activist to express support for the Maratha quota. The Congress MP also acknowledged the influence of the Maratha reservation movement in his victory in the recent Lok Sabha polls.

However, all political parties have officially opposed providing blanket reservations to the Maratha community from the OBC category. Congress leader Wadettiwar is one of the several OBC leaders who has spoken against Jarange’s demand.

“The Congress sought votes from the Maratha community in the recent Lok Sabha elections, and now they are acting against our interests. They will face the consequences in the Vidhan Sabha elections,” Jarange said.

The Congress won 13 out of 17 seats it contested in the state as part of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance. The party’s tally jumped from one in 2019 to 13 this year.

After meeting Jarange, Kale said, “Wadettiwar should not talk like this. I do not endorse his statement. Because of Jarange, I have been elected from the Jalna Lok Sabha constituency.”

Jarange reiterated his demand to provide Kunbi caste certificates to all blood relatives of Maratha community members, who were recorded as Kunbi in some old records. This will make the Marathas eligible for quota benefits under the OBC category.

In February this year, the Maharashtra legislature passed a bill granting a 10 per cent separate reservation for Marathas in education and government jobs. However, Jarange has rejected separate reservations stating that the Eknath Shinde government is trying to deceive the Maratha community. Several activists are apprehensive that the separate reservation will not survive legal scrutiny.