27/02/2024
Decoding the Manoj Jarange's Maratha Quota movement's impact on the Maharashtra Politics
Jarange-Patil, who was leading the Maratha reservation , broke his fast-unto-death on Monday after being warned by the government to not exceed his limits.
Despite calling off the hunger strike, the demand for Maratha's reservation in jobs and education under the category and benefits for the 'sage-soyare' family tree will continue.
Jarange-Patil left the protest site at Antarwali Sarathi in Jalna district on Sunday and traveled to Mumbai. He was subsequently reprimanded by Chief Minister , along with Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, who cautioned him against politicizing the matter. Jarange-Patil claimed that he received death threats from Fadnavis but did not receive much support from the , targeting the , especially that has slightly dented the BJP's image in the state.
In the night, he went back to . "I will undergo treatment for a few days, after which I will set out for a statewide tour and meet people," told reporters in Antarwali Sarati, breaking his 17-day hunger strike, before heading for Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar.
The community now has two options for getting benefits of reservations in jobs and education. In February, the State Reservation for Socially and Educationally Backward Bill, 2024, was passed in the state legislature, paving the way for 10 percent reservation for Marathas along with the benefit of getting covered in the list as per the Govt.'s last year amendment.
In Marathwada, a region that the had won in alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena in the 2019 polls, the party is facing due to factors like a possible drought, demands for more seats by allies, and the presence of more allies. The BJP has brought in former Chief Minister , who recently joined the BJP from Congress and was elected to the , as part of the 's strategy to make further inroads in the region.
Chavan has been tasked with aggressively attacking his former party in Nanded and Hingoli. The region comprises eight seats and 48 Assembly segments. The BJP, with four sitting MPs, has more bargaining chips than its allies Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, which has two MPs, and the Ajit Pawar-led (NCP), which has no MPs from the region but is eyeing Parbhani. The other two seats are held by the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the AIMIM.
Manoj Jarange-Patil, who was leading the Maratha reservation campaign, broke his fast-unto-death on Monday after being warned by the Maharashtra government to not exceed his limits.