Uddhav visits close aide Ravindra Waikar after rumours of him joining Shinde Govt
Uddhav visits close aide Ravindra Waikar after rumours of him joining Shinde Govt
News comes to the fore that in a categoric exit from his usual style of politics conducted mainly from within the confines of Matoshree, Uddhav Thackeray took time off to visit the house of his close aide and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Ravindra Waikar on Thursday.
Later Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut told the media
Uddhav visited Waikar as he is being harassed by central agencies. He is a heart patient, and Uddhav had visited him to showvsupp house to show support
Reportedly, Waikar is being investigated by the Enforecement Directorate in a case of alleged money-laundering, and the central agency had recently raided his house
Waikar is envisioned as a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray.
He embarked on his career as a corporator in 1992 and was elected to the civic body for four terms.
He was also chairman of the civic standing committee which controls the treasury of the BMC from 2006 to 2010.
Thackeray’s visit to Waikar’s Jogeshwari home comes amid speculation that the Thackeray loyalist and 3-time party MLA was under intense pressure to switch to the Eknath Shinde camp, BJP.
Further Raut also dismissed Waikar switching sides as speculation.
Waikar began his career in Shiv Sena as a corporator in 1992 and was elected to the civic body for four terms. He was also chairman of the civic standing committee which controls the treasury of the BMC from 2006 to 2010.
In 2009, he was elected as MLA from Jogeshwari for the first time and then re-elected for another two terms. He was a minister of state for higher and technical education from 2015 to 2019.
He is under investigation in a money-laundering case in the construction of a luxury hotel on a BMC plot in Mumbai which was originally meant to be a recreation ground. Last year the Mumbai police had filed a case against Waikar and five others for alleged cheating after which the ED took over the case. On January 9, the agency conducted searches at seven premises in the city belonging to Waikar and his business partners and associated entities.
Investigators have also recently recorded the statement of civic officials who had dealt with the case change of use of the said plot. Waikar who has denied any wrongdoing has sought more time to appear before ED.
Earlier, the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai police too had conducted a preliminary inquiry into the alleged irregularities after BJP leaders Kirit Somaiya and Ashis Shelar had alleged that permissions to change the land use of the Jogeshwari plot which lies near Matoshri Club from a recreation ground to build a five-star hotyel had been illegally obtained.
The EOW had also sent notices to officials of the BMC’s Garden and Building Department asking them to join the investigation.
Besides Waikar, Aaditya Thackeray’s personal assistant Suraj Chavan too is under ED custody for alleged corruption in distribution of khichdi amidst Covid and as is another UBT leader and former mayor Kishori Pednekar alleged irregularities in the supply of body bags during the pandemic.
News Edit K.V.Raman
