Hours after announcing that he would back 10 to 15 candidates in the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly election, Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange-Patil made a U-turn today and said he would not participate in the polls. Mr Patil said he held discussions and reached the conclusion that he would only work against those who did not “give justice to Marathas”.
“It is not possible to contest and win an election on the strength of one caste. We are new in politics. If we field a candidate and he loses, it will be a shame for the caste. Therefore, I request all the Maratha candidates to withdraw their nomination,” he told the media.
