Mumbai, Mar 6 (PTI) The Maratha community in Maharashtra Wednesday threatened to vote against BJP and Shiv Sena in the upcoming Lok Sabha and state assembly polls, saying the two parties had failed to fulfil their demands.
The decision was taken by members of the Maratha Kranti Morcha (MKM) at a meeting.
MKM convener Mahesh Dongre said the Sena-BJP government had failed to fulfil the promises given to the Maratha community.
"The community is upset with the government. We have planned to distribute five crore pamphlets appealing not to vote for Sena and BJP in the upcoming LS polls," he said.
According to him, the government had assured the Maratha community that cases filed by the police against over 13,000 protesters during the pro-quota stir.
The state had also assured that compensation and a government job would be provided to the kin of the protesters, who had committed suicide during the stir.
On November 30, 2018, the Maharashtra Legislature had passed a bill proposing 16 per cent reservation in education and government jobs for the Marathas, a declared socially and educationally backward class by the government.
However, the government had issued a circular putting a break on issuing appointment letters to the candidates, who got selected for the government job under the quota.
Dongre claimed that without the contribution of Marathas, the Shiv Sena would not have spread to the grass-root level.
"The community will teach a lesson to the Sena by showing the power of Marathas in the upcoming polls," Dongre added.
Despite assurances from Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, nothing concrete has been done so far, the community leaders have claimed.
