Candy maker, farmer, social worker—meet Marathas who wish to contest polls on Jarange-Patil’s signal

In Maharashtra, for the last 14 months, Manoj Jarange-Patil, or Dada as he is known among his followers, has emerged as a force to reckon with, especially in the Marathwada region. Incidentally, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar (also from the Maratha community) is also called Dada. Jarange-Patil sharing the same epithet, many say, is more than a coincidence.

Sitabai is one of the many from the Maratha community who have decided to jump into the fray after Jarange-Patil announced his decision to field candidates. His announcement, however, has a rider—he said he would take stock of individual constituencies and make a final decision on who would remain in the electoral fray while others would be asked to withdraw their nominations. As frantic parleys go on around the activists, his supporters have already filed their papers and expressed their willingness to withdraw if asked to.

In Marathwada, Jarange Patil has a cult-like following, with people like Sitabai wholeheartedly supporting him. Laxman More, a 27-year-old farmer from the village of Sonkhed in Loha taluka of Nanded district, will file his nomination for the Nanded North Assembly seat. Over the past 14 months, More, like Sitabai, has been active in the reservation movement, and his decision to throw his hat in the electoral battle is in response to Patil’s call.

“Over the last 14 months, Dada has managed to do the impossible—he has united the Maratha community. We Marathas have to fight for our rights,” he said. Jarange-Patil’s main demand is the inclusion of the Maratha community under the Other Backward Classes and to implement the reservation using the principle of sage soyare (relations).

Jarange-Patil, who hails from Jalna district of Marathwada, has trained his guns against the BJP, especially Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. His decision to field candidates can seriously affect both the Mahayuti and the Maha Vikas Aghadi in many seats. Given that Marathas constitute around 30 per cent of the state’s population, Patil has proved to be a major political and social force to reckon with for everyone.

Sitabai confirmed that she was offered posts by established political parties, but she refused. “If I have to fight, it should be for someone who understands the roots,” she said.

When Jarange-Patil was fasting, Santosh Gavane from Kaladgaon village in Ardhapur taluka of Nanded had supported his movement in a very unique way. Gavane had buried himself halfway down to show his support. Now, Gavane has filed his papers for the Bhokar seat in the district. It is the constituency from where Sreejaya, daughter of former Congress chief minister Ashok Chavan, is fighting her maiden election on a BJP ticket. Chavan is now a BJP MP in the Rajya Sabha.

“It was Dada and his movement that got 30 per cent of Marathas in Marathwada the benefit of the Kunbi certificate (Kunbi Marathas are included in the OBC category). Thus, the community is certain that Dada is the only one who can give justice to the community,” Gavane said. He is a newbie in politics, but like More and Sitabai, he is certain Dada would be his trump card.

All the candidates know that they will have to withdraw their papers if Jarange-Patil tells them to. They said they would abide by his decision because “whatever Dada says would be good for the community”.