No hopes from MVA or Mahayuti, says Jarange Patil
Maratha reservation agitation, Manoj Jarange Patil, might have decided not to contest this time's elections, but he remains one of the key deciding factors in the Maharashtra poll landscape. Patil asked several of his supporters not to contest elections after many of them filled their nomination forms.
He enjoys a cult-figure status among the old and young as many touch his feet and seek his guidance on whom they should vote.
Sitting with ET, Patil maintains that he has «only one cause and that is for Marathas to get reservation. And his cause has united six crore Marathas across Maharashtra». When asked whether Mahayuti or MVA can support the Maratha cause, he responds «all are the same». He says he will step up his agitation after the election process gets over. «Let me make it clear to you. Neither am I supporting anyone nor opposing anyone. I have no hopes from anyone except my movement,» Patil said.
When asked that many feel that he is targeting the BJP, he said: «On the issue of Maratha reservation all are the same. They talk about it but don't ensure it. Same is the case with BJP.»
On contesting the elections, Patil said: «Next time, we will contest. It takes time to prepare. We are not prepared.» Many of his supporters don't agree to this. But they say «dada (Patil) would be the deciding factor who wins the election». Asked whether the Maratha agitation has led to consolidation among backwards, Patil outrightly rejected this saying: «Marathas and OBCs are the same. There is no difference in OBCs and
