Had we contested Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024, Marathas would've been divided: Jarange

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Quota activist Manoj Jarange on Wednesday said the Maratha community would have been divided had they jumped into the poll fray, and claimed they can change the political landscape just ahead of the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024.

According to news agency PTI, Jarange also said that by opting to stay away from the polls, he has kept the fight for the Maratha quota alive.

While speaking to a Marathi channel in Jalna district, the Maratha quota activist said that a decision on supporting candidates for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 will be taken in due course.

Jarange had earlier identified certain constituencies where he intended to support or oppose some candidates. But, on Monday, the activist said he will not be fielding or supporting any contestant for the state polls.

Elaborating on his future strategy, Jarange said, "A few poll aspirants may have been disgruntled owing to the decision of not contesting elections. But with this decision, I have kept the fight for reservation alive. Elections is happiness for a short period which we should avoid."

According to PTI, the activist said they will take a call in due course on whom they want to defeat as there are still some days left before the election.

"We will give the draft [in support of Maratha reservation] to those who are seeking support from us. We will sit again and decide whom we should support. We have the capacity to change the [political] environment in the last phase. We will check who is a strong candidate and then decide to whom we should give the draft and support," he said.

The Maratha quota activist also said that the community has been targeted.

"If we would have contested the elections, the community would have been divided," he claimed.

When asked if the decision to opt out of the Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024 will benefit the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), Jarange said, "This is being spoken of since long. Then why were our people attacked [in Antarwali Sarathi village last year]? Cases were registered against them. Reservation was given to 15-16 communities recently, but we were not given reservation."

Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, whose party is a constituent of the MVA, had said on Monday that nobody from the opposition alliance has anything to do with Jarange's decision to opt out of the elections.

"We are pleased to hear that Manoj Jarange has decided to withdraw from the Maharashtra Assembly elections. Had he chosen to continue his campaign, it could have inadvertently benefited the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) in the election process. Therefore, we wholeheartedly welcome his decision," Pawar had said.

(With PTI inputs)