Amid intense speculation in political circles that Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse might resign from his post over allegations of misuse of office and other irregularities, as many as 17 BJP Corporators from Jalgaon on Wednesday afternoon threatened to resign from their posts in support of the beleaguered Minister.
However, they reneged from their threat later in the evening, following Khadse's intervention. Khadse said “Neither Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis or State party president Danve-Patil have made any statement on the allegations made against me. They have in fact supported me”.
A day after Khadse skipped the weekly State Cabinet meeting ostensibly to take part in Goddess Muktaidevi yatra in his home constituency in Jalgaon district, 17 BJP corporators – all his supporters – staged a resignation drama in protest against the "failure" on the part of the the party leadership to stand by their leader in his hour of crisis.
It all began with leader of the Opposition in the Jalgaon Municipal Corporation (JMC) Wamandada Khadke announcing at a news conference in the afternoon, that he and 16 other corporators would hand over their mass resignation letter to Maharashtra BJP chief Raosaheb Danve-Patil in support of Khadse. However, after they met Khadse himself at his Muktainagar residence, the 17 BJP corporators formally withdrew their threat to put in their papers.
In a joint statement issued at the news conference, the 17 corporators stated among other things: “For the past several days, baseless allegations are being made against our respected leader Khadseji. People without any standing or popular base are making baseless allegations against Nathabhau ( as Khadse is known to his supporters)...Our party leaders are silent, as a result of which, an atmosphere of suspicion is building up against Khadseji”
“If the party leadership does not stand by Khadseji at this juncture, what will happen to small party workers like us when we face similar allegations. We demand that the state government investigate the baseless allegations against Khadseji and initiate action against those making such allegations,” the corporators said in their statement.
Embroiled as many as four major controversies –the arrest of a person claiming to be his “personal aide” in a bribery case, the Dawood call log case, the Pune land deal and an expose that his son-in-law Manish Khevalkar, moves around in an illegally modified limousine, Khadse finds himself in a worst-ever political crisis.
Even on Wednesday, a leading television channel carried a sting operation in which it was alleged that the Minister had pressured a police inspector to register a case against whistle blower Hemant Gawande.
Gawande, it may be recalled, had on Monday lodged a criminal complaint with the local Band Garden Police station against him, his wife Mandakini, son-in-law Girish Chaudhary for allegedly hatching a conspiracy and cornering a 3-acre plot of MIDC land
Of the four controversies that Khadse faces currently, the Pune land deal is the most serious one, where there is prima evidence that he has crossed the line. Apart from the Sena’s Industries Minister Subhash Desai who has suggested that Khadse had erred in purchased in land belonging to the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation, the MIDC officials have also opined that the purchase was “illegal”.
In a complaint lodged against Khadse and his family members with the Pune Band Garden police station, Pune-based builder Hemant Gawande alleged that the minister, his wife Mandakini and son-in-law Girish Chaudhary had hatched a conspiracy and cornering a 3-acre plot of MIDC land “worth Rs 65 crore” at a nominal price of Rs 3.75 crore.
“.... Eknath Khadse has misused his office and has used his influence as a Revenue Minister to usurp and grab the piece and parcel of land which admittedly has been acquired by the MIDC,” Gawande stated in his complaint.
The Pune-based builder said that there was an angle of ‘Quid Pro Quo’ in the land deal as wife of Revenue Minister is involved along with his son in law.
“A thorough and fair probe by the Anti Corruption Wing of the CBI can only bring out the truth of said matter,” Gawande said, while seeking a Bombay High Court-monitored Joint Investigation by the CBI, the Enforcement Directorate, Income Tax Department in the land deal.