Nashik, Nov 4 (IANS): Maharashtra Minister and veteran NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal on Monday welcomed the pro-Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange-Patil's announcement of complete withdrawal from Maharashtra assembly elections.
"I welcome Manoj Jarange-Patil's decision. It is better late than never. Jarange-Patil is right that elections cannot be fought on the backing of any one community," said Bhujbal, who engaged in a war of words with Jarange-Patil in the past on the issues of Maratha and OBC reservations.
"Social organisations can do good work in the social arena. It also happens that if they decide to contest elections, other communities do not support them. So, with Jarange-Patil's decision, our brothers and sisters of the Maratha community will vote freely. They will take part in the election without any pressure.
"Also, if we look at the candidates who are fielded by all the parties, 20 per cent were in the reserved seats, 15 to 20 per cent were given to other communities, but 60 to 70 per cent of the candidates of all the parties were from the Maratha community. So I think Jarange Patil's decision is right," said Bhujbal, who is currently busy in his campaign for Yevala constituency in Nashik district.
To a question on Jarange-Patil’s statement that he decided to withdraw from the contest as he did not get a list of candidates from Muslim and OBC communities, Bhujbal said: "This clearly means that he needs support of all religions and communities. There are parties, and they try to take all religions and society along with them."
Bhujbal said that agitation and politics are two different subjects.
"Agitation for Maratha reservation is different. I work for Samata Parishad (which is working to safeguard the interests of the OBCs). But social work is different. We don't (Samata Parishad) contest elections. Elections in Maharashtra will be held in a free manner. There will be social harmony, all the candidates will put up their arguments freely," he added.
Bhujbal's remarks assume importance, as he and Jarange-Patil took potshots against each other in the past.