Maharashtra assembly polls: How Maratha quota activist Jarange Patil is keeping political bigwigs on the edge

Manoj Jarange Patil

Months ahead of the crucial Maharashtra assembly polls, Maratha quota activist, Manoj Jarange Patil has revised his tone of pressuring the government with his protest, by moving to a strategic stance. Patil has indicated that he may put up candidates in the assembly elections likely to be held in October-November.

The primary contest is anticipated to be between the ruling Mahayuti and the opposition Mahavikas Aghadi, although several smaller parties are also making their presence known.

Leading a peace rally across western Maharashtra from first week of August, as an extension to its Marathwada tour, Patil asked the Maratha community to be prepared for the upcoming assembly polls. Political observers believe that the latest round of the agitation will see a potent mix of public outreach and a calibrated attack on political leaders to press for his demands.

How  Jarange Patil is playing his cards

A part of his 'playbook' is already in display with his calibrated attack on Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, alleging that he was proving to be a hurdle in Marathas getting reservation. Fadnavis on Monday offered to resign and take political sanyas if chief minister Eknath Shinde corroborates the charge levelled by the activist. Calling the allegations baseless, Shinde said the fact was that Fadnavis played a crucial role in the government making a law for Maratha reservation.

Jarange is a strident critic of the senior BJP leader and has routinely accused him of being the main obstacle in the Maratha community's quest for reservation in government jobs and education.

When Patil played the role of a disruptor

Jarange-Patil emerged as a disruptor in the recently concluded parliamentary polls. Marathas are said to have voted with their feet for candidates of the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in the general elections. This, coupled with the support of Muslims and Dalits, saw MVA candidates romp home in seven of the eight seats in the Marathwada region, which was the epicentre of the quota protests. Very few would have predicted that the opposition Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi would win 30 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state.

In places like Marathawada, the MVA ensured that it milked the anger among Marathas over the reservation issue. The splits in the NCP and Shiv Sena were used for emotional appeal, while in Mumbai, the Thackeray faction used the Marathi-versus-Gujarati narrative against the BJP. Political commentators believe that the ire of the dominant Marathas played a pivotal role in ensuring a poor outing of the ruling Mahayuti in the recently concluded parliamentary polls in the state.

Patil's main demands

Jarange has been demanding the implementation of the state government's 'sage soyare' (blood relatives) notification to grant Marathas reservation under the OBC category. He wants Kunbi certificates to be issued to all Marathas. Kunbis, an agrarian community, enjoy OBC status in the state.

In February, the Maharashtra Assembly unanimously passed a Bill for a separate 10 per cent quota for the Maratha community. Post the passage of the bill, Patil argued that the proposed reservation did not align with the community's demands. He stated, "We deserve reservation that is in line with our needs. Provide us reservation under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category for those who can prove their Kunbi identity, and for those who cannot provide proof, pass a law for 'Sage Soyare'.

Patil's constituency-wise review ahead of state polls

Jarange-Patil has concluded his constituency-wise review. He reportedly carried out the review from August 14 to 20. The activist is expected to announce his final decision on August 29.   During his outreach programmes, he has urged Maratha MLAs from all parties to grant Marathas quotas from the OBC category.

Patil's actions have placed the government in a difficult position, with Sharad Pawar advocating for dialogue and an all-party meeting. Despite various efforts to address the issue, it remains unresolved. The quota activist has hinted at the possibility of contesting the assembly polls, which could lead to him winning a few seats and potentially influencing the outcome in about 25 other constituencies. Both Mahayuti and Maha Vikas Aghadi are closely monitoring his next moves as the assembly term nears its end on November 6.