Ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections, Shiv Sena’s two key leaders involved in running the affairs in the civic body and making preparations for the polls, are on the radar of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
The agency on Thursday raided seven properties of senior Sena leader and transport minister Anil Parab, who is close to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray. On Wednesday, former BMC standing committee chairman Yashwant Jadhav was summoned by the ED to appear before it in connection with the alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act.
The Mumbai civic polls, which are expected to be held in a few months, are going to be a major political battle between the two former allies – Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
In this backdrop, the action against the two leaders could hit the image of Sena which is fighting to keep control of the civic body, especially after BJP’s allegations of corruption. The ED move against Jadhav and Parab and their proximity to Thackeray could be used by BJP as examples of corrupt practices in the BMC, political observers said.
Parab, 56, a three-time member of legislative council, handles the legal matters of Sena and played a crucial role in the party’s victory in the 2017 BMC elections. Parab countered all the attacks by BJP during the campaign. Soon after, he was rewarded with being Sena’s group leader in the council. Later, Parab gained the confidence of Thackeray by playing important roles in the party. He was also part of the team that was tasked with devising strategies for the Lok Sabha and the assembly polls in 2019. For the upcoming civic polls, he along with environment minister Aaditya Thackeray is busy chalking out the party’s success formula.
Jadhav, who was the standing committee chairman, oversaw the clearance of all the major projects in the BMC. In 2017, Jadhav was picked by Thackeray to head the prestigious committee, overlooking senior Sena councillors. Jadhav is known to be loyal to the Thackeray family.
Sanjay Raut, Sena MP and chief spokesperson, said, “We understand the timing of Central agencies. Whenever there are elections in West Bengal or Maharashtra, the ED and the CBI [Central Bureau of Investigation] are unleashed. But Maharashtra will not bow down and Sena will not be scared.”
He claimed the action by the probe agency was to exact revenge out of a political vendetta. “But people of Maharashtra know what is happening. This too shall pass and one day the reins will be in our hands.”
Sena insiders said BJP was targeting people close to the CM as a “revenge” and to put pressure. “They think the leadership would crumble. We are beyond that point now. No matter what action they take against our leaders, we will not bow down,” a senior functionary said.
Sena and other Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders backed Parab following the ED raids. “MVA leaders have been facing such actions ever since this government was formed. The misuse of Central agencies is dangerous for everyone in a democracy. This is a legal battle and we will respond accordingly,” Sena leader and urban development minister Eknath Shinde said.
Political analyst Surendra Jondhale said BJP intended to break the organisation structure ahead of the BMC elections. “BJP would like to make a political use of the ED to lower the morale of Sena. Parab and Jadhav were already on their radar. Both leaders are key to the party’s organisation; so, it is a blow to Sena.”
Raut said, “Such actions will not bring our morale down. Maharashtra’s politics were never so dirty. You have Central agencies in your hands and if you think that Sena’s or MVA’s morale will go down then you are mistaken. On the contrary, such moves against us make us stronger.”
