BJP will lose polls in Mumbai, Nagpur, says activist Jarange

Kolhapur: Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange on Thursday said BJP will be defeated in Mumbai and Nagpur in the upcoming assembly election.
Addressing a press conference in Solapur on Thursday morning, Jarange said attempts being made by certain Maratha politicians and ministers to quash the quota movement at the behest of the deputy chief minister will cost BJP.
After the Solapur event, Jarange went to Sangli, where he addressed a rally in the evening. Jarange is currently touring the state for his “Shantata” rally. He has already covered Solapur and Sangli, and will be visiting Kolhapur, Satara, Pune and Nashik.
The Shantata rally is considered an attempt by Jarange to gauge the mood of the Maratha community and test the waters before fielding candidates for the assembly elections. The announcement will be made on Aug 29.
Talking to reporters, Jarange sounded positive about fielding candidates but he did not reveal much on the matter. His targets, however, were deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and Mahayuti govt.
“This time, not just the Marathas, even Dhangars, Lingayats, Bara Balutedars and Muslims are angry. Dhangars were promised reservation in the first cabinet... That did not happen. Certain politicians — who are controlled by Fadnavis — are trying to find the fault lines in the Maratha community. The latest case was the attempt to paint a picture that Marathas from different regions are hostile towards each other. We are assembly-wise reviewing the situation. I can say that BJP seats are in danger even in the Mumbai and Nagpur regions because of the attempts to break our unity,” said Jarange.
Jarange also criticized political parties for not developing assembly segments where adivasis are in majority. “There are 46 assembly segments where adivasis are in majority. No party or politician has built a road in many years. Yet, they come seeking votes on the promise of development,” the activist said.
He also alleged that BJP govt imposed economically weaker section (EWS) reservation on the Marathas though it was not demanded. “They imposed SEBC reservation of 10%, which too was not sought. The SEBC reservation made EWS reservation invalid for the Marathas. At the same time, govt is putting pressure on officials to ensure that Maratha students do not get SEBC validity certificates on time. No separate cell has been opened to provide caste validity certificates. These are the attempts to corner Marathas. They (govt) pretend to give something, but in reality, they are making the Marathas helpless,” said Jarange.
He added that his demands have not changed — implementation of sage-soyare clause, granting of Kunbi certificates to all Marathas (as Marathas are historically Kunbis and, therefore, eligible for OBC reservation), and finding Kunbi records of Marathas from Marathwada from the gazettes lying with the erstwhile Hyderabad state.
No rift among
communities
Talking about Sharad Pawar and some other politicians’ apprehensions that the reservation-related social tension in Maharashtra could lead to a Manipur-like situation, Jarange said: “Many people are trying to make us fight among each other. I know for sure that the Marathas, OBCs, Dalits, and Muslims who reside in the same village will never fight each other. Some politicians are trying to show that we have stopped talking to each other, and we don’t trade with each other. These are lies to reap political benefits. We have to live with each other, we depend on each other in our daily lives. We have to share our joy and sorrows,” he said.
Traffic regulations
in Kolhapur city
Jarange’s Shantata rally is scheduled for Friday in Kolhapur. It will take the Mirajkar Tikti-Binkhambi Ganesh Mandir-Mahalakshmi Chowk-Papachi Tikti-Malkar Tikti route and end at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Chowk where Jarange will address a rally.
To avoid inconvenience to commuters, the rally route will remain shut, and the traffic will be diverted from Bindu Chowk to Dasara Chowk. Two-wheelers can be parked at Chintradurg Math, Nehru High School, Private High School, Shahu stadium. Four-wheelers parking will be available at Dasara Chowk, Lakshmi Gymkhana, 100 Ft Road, Private High School, New College, Padmaraje Girls Highschool, and Bindu Chowk. The traffic regulations will be in place from 9am till the end of the rally.