The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday appeared headed for a showdown with Maratha quota leader Manoj Jarange as it accused him of working as a "proxy" for Maha Vikas Aghadi after he exhorted the Maratha community to defeat the saffron party candidates in polls.

Reacting sharply, BJP leaders said they are picking up the gauntlet thrown by Jarange for the upcoming electoral contest.

A war of words erupted after the Maratha quota leader accused Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis of trying to frame him, drawing a sharp reaction from the ruling BJP.

Jarange had targeted Fadnavis in the past as well. 

The latest criticism comes a day after a Pune court issued a Non-Bailable Warrant against Jarange in a cheating case.

"We have accepted Manoj Jarange's challenge and will face him on the election battlefield," BJP leader Pravin Darekar said and accused the quota leader of playing into the hands of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi, comprising the Shiv Sena-UBT, the NCP-SP, and the Congress.

Accusing Jarange of adopting "double standards", Darekar said on "odd days he distances himself from politics, and on even days, he asks Maratha community to vote BJP out of power".

Darekar alleged Jarange's focus is gradually shifting from issues related to the Maratha community to politics.

"Jarange is working as Maha Vikas Aghadi's proxy. He seems to have accepted a contract for carrying out a hit job against the NDA. His focus is politics rather than social issues. He also wants to keep the issue of Maratha reservation alive until the assembly polls so that the unrest would benefit MVA candidates," the BJP leader alleged.

Maharashtra assembly polls are due in October this year. -- PTI