Why politics in Maharashtra is headed for a flare up
On December 12, when senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar was attending a rally in Nagpur launching a fiery attack on the government over its failure in giving relief to the distressed farmers, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis was preparing for a counter-attack.
Hours after the rally got over, the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB), under Fadnavis, filed four FIRs in Nagpur in connection with an alleged scam in the Gosekhurd irrigation project in Bhandara naming one politician, who is little known, and three officials.
It was a signal to Pawar and his protégé state NCP president Sunil Tatkare. Both of them stand accused of letting the multi-crore scam take place under their nose. The ACB is investigating whether they allowed cost escalation in various irrigation projects by flouting the law in their capacity as water resources ministers during separate tenures. The ACB has already named Tatkare as a suspect in its chargesheet filed in the case of Kondhane project in his home town Raigad.
In the last couple of months, Pawar has eclipsed Congress' leader of opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil through his tours across the state criticising the government.
"Don't invite Fadnavis to any of your functions," Pawar ordered the NCP leaders after Tatkare and another senior leader Dileep Walse-Patil urged the CM to attend launch of their biographies two months ago. He has also taken an open stand against showing a "soft corner" towards the BJP in the latter's feud with its ruling partner Shiv Sena.
Pawar too had taken an initiative to bring all opposition parties together against the BJP.
Known for his accurate political calculations, Fadnavis has found a bigger tool to check Pawar's growing aggression against the government. Armed with the findings of a three-member committee, which investigated irregularities in the 12 irrigation projects in Konkan, Fadnavis is likely to corner Pawar. A source in the ACB said that the committee has reported that massive cost escalation in purchasing material has taken place by flouting the law in certain projects: Kondhane, Chanrea, Balganga, Kalu, Shai, Susari, Gadnadi, Shill, Jamda, Shirshinge, Kal Kumbhe and Gadgadi.
Water resources minister Girish Mahajan said an FIR will be filed in the Konkan projects case soon. He shrugged off when asked whether the committee has pointed fingers at Ajit Pawar.
Both Pawar and Tatkare have already announced that they are open to any inquiry as they have not flouted any law. However, Fadnavis is not in a mood to show leniency. "We will file more FIRs in the irrigation scam soon," he told reporters in Nagpur without naming anyone. Expect the politics to be heated in the next couple of months.
(Courtesy of Mail Today)