Hurdle for Chhagan Bhujbal even before being named for Nashik LS seat

Anjali Damania, activist and Chhagan Bhujbal, NCP leader

Maharashtra NDA's prominent OBC face Chhagan Bhujbal's name has been doing the rounds as a certainty for the Nashik Lok Sabha constituency, which is currently held by a Shinde Sena leader.

With sources saying it's a done deal and that only the announcement remained, the Bombay High Court has dealt a blow to Bhujbal in the form of a notice.

Discharged two years ago in the Maharashtra Sadan scam, he, along with the other acquitted accused, have been served notices by the Bombay High Court following a review petition filed by Mumbai-based civil activist Anjali Damania.

It is said the candidature of the NCP-Ajit Pawar leader, who is the food and civil supplies minister in the Eknath Shinde cabinet, has been directly cleared by the NDA leaders in New Delhi.

Money laundering charges

The central leaders wanted Shinde Sena's sitting MP Hemant Godse to vacate the seat for Bhujbal. This had created a tussle between the Mahayuti allies. The high court notice now to Bhujbal, his son Pankaj and nephew Sameer, is expected to give the rival camp a solid reason to oppose his candidature. The court has asked the Bhujbals to respond in four weeks.

Chhagan Bhujbal

Damania said her appeal had been pending for the last 18 months. "Five judges said ‘not before me'. Then I approached the Supreme Court where the Chief Justice issued a directive for listing the matter," she said, adding that on Monday she informed Justice SM Modak's court that the discharge by the sessions court was wrong.

"The court directed that all acquitted accused be served notices. The court also accepted our request that the Anti-Corruption Bureau be directed to serve notices to the accused. The notice is returnable till April 29. I am confident that the accused will be punished," she said. According to information, co-accused and former PWD secretary, Deepak Deshpande's discharge plea is expected to be taken up in two weeks. Bhujbal was tried on money laundering charges.

‘We have clean chit'

Bhujbal said in Nashik that he had been given a clean chit in the matter. "Only Deshpande's case is being heard now. We wouldn't be here if there was a case against us. We would have gone there [the HC in Mumbai] immediately," he said.

Fadnavis confirmed it

Meanwhile, Shinde Sena's Godse has begun his campaign in Nashik and has been frequenting Mumbai to show his strength and convince the CM to save his seat.

But Bhujbal said in his native Yeola on Monday that Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had confirmed that the senior leaders were unanimous in clearing his name at the Mayayuti's meeting in Delhi.

"It's not right to reject the ticket when my party and its alliance partners need me. That challenge should be accepted. We will have to fight with all our might," he told the local party workers.

Sources said the Mahayuti wants Bhujbal to contest and win because no politician from his Mali (gardener) caste has been fielded by other parties. Bhujbal leads a national organisation of the Other Backward Castes, Akhil Bharatiya Mahatma Phule Samata Parishad, which has held big rallies in New Delhi and other cities.