Mumbai: Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA under the Enforcement Directorate (ED) lens Ravindra Waikar Sunday joined hands with Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde — a jolt to Uddhav Thackeray, who is known to be close to Waikar, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
Jogeshwari MLA Waikar was under the scanner of the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) and the ED in connection with the proposed construction of a luxury hotel in the city on a plot reserved by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for a garden.
There has long been speculation that Waikar would be joining Shinde’s Sena. A few weeks ago, the BMC had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, expressing its willingness to reconsider Waikar’s case.
Interestingly, Uddhav was in Waikar’s constituency on Saturday, meeting Sena workers. Waikar was present, but changed camps within 24 hours.
Upon joining the Shinde Sena, Waikar told the media he is convinced that if he has to get the developmental work done in his constituency, he has to be in the government.
“Shinde is taking quick decisions on development works. If these works are not completed, I cannot face my people. My reasons for joining Shiv Sena are different. We need Rs 173 crore for the 45-km Aarey road. The old and dilapidated PMGP colony and Sarvodaya Nagar in my constituency need to be redeveloped. I had approached courts against unequal distribution of funds. Now I am convinced there is no alternative to being in power to get people’s work done,” he said.
After Waikar switched sides, Rajya Sabha MP of Shiv Sena (UBT) Sanjay Raut asked how BJP and its partners are inducting leaders against whom there are corruption allegations.
Speaking to the media Monday, he said, “When leaders are with us, allegations are made, charges are framed, they are threatened with arrest, families are being pressured. And when the person switches sides, he automatically becomes pure and pious. This is what happened with Waikar.”
Raut added: “But it is embarrassing for BJP and their alliance partners as they had until yesterday threatened to put Waikar in jail. What happened to those allegations now?”
At a Goregaon rally Sunday, while meeting party workers, Uddhav Thackeray said, “Even if anyone defects, that will not impact the strength of the party as common Shiv Sainiks are with him. Those going with Shinde will have to live with a label of traitors.”
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What is the ED’s case against Waikar
The ED case against Waikar is based on an FIR registered by the Mumbai Police’s EOW last September at Azad Maidan police station on a complaint by a BMC employee. The FIR was registered after the EOW conducted a preliminary enquiry into alleged irregularities after BJP leader Kirit Somaiya claimed Waikar illegally obtained approval for the construction of a hotel on a plot reserved for a garden.
According to the FIR (seen by ThePrint), Waikar, his wife Manisha Waikar, and three others along with Mahal Pictures (original land-owner) and BMC entered into a tripartite agreement in February 2004 over this Jogeshwari plot.
According to the development control rules, the BMC had reserved 67 percent of the land for open space while the remaining 33 percent could be used for recreational use.
The agreement specified that the owner/occupant could not ask for or claim any compensation or TDR for the land.
Waikar then constructed the Supremo Club on the 33 percent portion of the plot, whereas the permission was for constructing a badminton club, according to the FIR.
In the FIR, it is alleged that Waikar and his partners made monetary benefits off the club. On the remaining 67 percent portion of the plot, a lawn was constructed, which was then given for weddings and other events, again leading to profits off of land reserved for public use, the FIR further states.
In 2017, the Development Plan 2034 kicked in. According to the new rules, Waikar was entitled to use the floor space index (FSI) by handing over the 70 percent of the plot to the BMC.
The FIR states that Waikar decided to demolish the Supremo Club and in January 2021 — when he was guardian minister in the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government — he sought permission from the BMC to build a 14 floor 5-star luxury hotel on the 30 percent portion of the plot, while giving 70 percent to the BMC. He got the permission that same year.
However in June 2023, by which time the state government had changed, the BMC reneged and denied this permission.
In September last year, the EOW booked Ravindra Waikar and 5 others including his wife Manisha under IPC sections for cheating, criminal breach of trust, criminal conspiracy and dishonestly inducing delivery of property.
In January, ED had searched seven locations including premises of Waikar and his aides as part of the investigation. He was given multiple summons for questioning and on 29 January, he was questioned for 9 hours.
After BMC denied him permission for the hotel construction, he approached the Bombay High Court but lost his case. He then knocked on the doors of the Supreme Court.
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BMC’s ‘change of heart’
As the decision was pending, the BMC had a sudden change of stance and submitted an affidavit in the apex court saying that it would withdraw its 15 June 2023 revocation order and reconsider the case, amounting to speculation that Waikar would change parties.
A 26 February order of the Supreme Court — accessed by ThePrint — stated that “the corporation being the planning authority is willing to withdraw the revocation order dated 15.06.2023 and would consider the case of the petitioner (in this case Ravindra Waikar) in view of the directions of the Urban Development department of the State of Maharashtra.”
Last month, Sanjay Raut had claimed that Waikar was being pressured and threatened with arrest if he did not leave the party. However, he had also expressed trust in Waikar.
“This is a kind of terrorism. Such kind of politics has never taken place. But he is a loyal Shiv Sainik and would never succumb to such pressure. We are with him,” Raut had written on X.
Ravindra Waikar and Uddhav Thackeray
Waikar, 65, is a three-time MLA from Jogeshwari area in the western suburbs of Mumbai. He started as a grassroots Shiv Sainik in the 1980s and became a corporator from the area for four consecutive terms.
Between 2006 and 2009, he served as chairman of the standing committee of the BMC before becoming MLA in 2009, 2014, and then in 2019.
He held the portfolio of Minister of State (MoS) for Housing and Higher and Technical Education from 2015 to 2019 in the BJP-Shiv Sena government led by Devendra Fadnavis.
Later, in the Uddhav Thackeray-led MVA government, he was the guardian minister of his home district Ratnagiri.
Known to be close to Uddhav, he is said to have built the organisational structure of the Shiv Sena and over time developed close relations with the Thackerays.
BJP leader Kirit Somaiya had earlier also alleged irregularities over the construction of 19 bungalows in Korlai village in Murud Taluka of Raigad district. He had claimed it had links with the Thackerays and Waikars.
The BJP leader had claimed that Rashmi Thackeray and Manisha Ravindra Waikar jointly paid the property tax on the bungalows on 12 November, 2020.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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