Ajit Pawar, a veteran politician in Maharashtra, has reflected on his long political career, highlighting missed chances for the Chief Minister’s post. Despite serving multiple terms as Deputy Chief Minister, the 65-year-old Pawar has acknowledged that he fell short of ascending to the top position. He candidly revealed his career trajectory at a well-attended event in Thane, attended by Governor C P Radhakrishnan, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Pawar acknowledged that while he was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister on numerous occasions, the coveted Chief Minister’s post remained elusive.
Pawar’s political journey began with his election to the assembly in 1991 from Baramati. He also served as a Lok Sabha MP. In contrast, Fadnavis was first elected to the assembly in 1999 and Shinde in 2004, both eventually becoming Chief Ministers. Fadnavis was sworn in as CM on October 31, 2014, with his government supported by Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Shinde took over as CM on June 30, 2022, after a significant portion of the Shiv Sena legislators, led by him, broke away from Uddhav Thackeray’s faction.
Pawar hinted at a missed opportunity, stating that had Fadnavis offered him the CM’s post, he would have ensured the entire NCP joined his camp. This revelation is particularly interesting considering the events following the 2019 assembly polls. In the aftermath of the polls, where no single party secured a clear majority, Pawar unexpectedly formed a government with Fadnavis in the early hours, becoming Deputy Chief Minister. However, this government lasted for less than 80 hours, as Pawar failed to secure the support of all NCP legislators. Only four out of 44 NCP legislators backed him, leading to the government’s collapse. This suggests that Ajit Pawar’s ambition to hold the top political office may be put on hold for the time being.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident highlighting a persistent issue of corruption within the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), a designated officer of the K-East ward was apprehended by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for demanding a bribe of Rs 2 crore from a builder to regularize a four-storey structure in Andheri. The officer had agreed to receive the bribe in installments, with the first payment being Rs 75 lakh. The builder, sensing wrongdoing, alerted the ACB, leading to the officer’s apprehension. While the officer remains at large, two middlemen who accepted the bribe money have been arrested.
This incident is a stark reminder of the deep-rooted corruption within the BMC. Notably, an officer of the same rank and ward was arrested by the ACB in November 2022 for demanding and accepting a bribe of Rs 50 lakh to regularize an illegal structure. While legal proceedings will take their course, the incident raises questions about the lack of supervision and dereliction of duty on the part of superior officers.
The BMC administration, led by veteran bureaucrat Bhushan Gagrani, needs to prioritize a fast-tracked investigation and ensure that the case is disposed of in a timely manner. In 1997, when Manohar Joshi was the Chief Minister, the urban development department issued a stringent circular holding ward officers and senior police inspectors accountable for illegal and unauthorized constructions. However, the BMC lacks a record of action taken against erring officers, indicating a lack of enforcement of these regulations. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the need for stricter accountability within the BMC to combat corruption and ensure responsible development.
