Sanjay Raut slams BJP for raiding Sena corporator Yashwant Jadhav; links to BMC polls

Scoffing at the I-T department's ongoing raids at Shiv Sena corporator Yashwant Jadhav's house, Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday, claimed that the Central agencies are busy only in Bengal and Maharashtra. Raut said that the raids were done keeping the upcoming municipal polls in mind. The Income-tax raids are continuing for the third day at Jadhav's premises.

Sena: 'BMC polls in minds'

"I think there's Income & Tax only in Maharashtra, no Income & Tax in BJP-ruled states. Municipal Corporation polls are here,so central agencies have work only in Maharashtra & WB; no work in rest of India. All is well there," said Raut.

Noting the central agencies' action on MVA leaders, he added, "We are noting all these things. We are watching, the public is watching too. Let them do it. Let them find out what they are searching for".

On Friday, I-T department searched the premises of BMC Standing Committee chairperson Yashwant Jadhav in connection to alleged tax evasion. The raids come days after Enforcement Directorate arrested NCP minister Nawab Malik in connection to an alleged land deal with aides of gangster Dawood Ibrahim. The ex-saffron allies BJP and Shiv Sena are locked in a battle with Sena claiming that  BJP was using central agencies against Maharashtra's ruling coalition in a bid to 'pressurize them to bow down'.

BMC polls

In 2017, Shiv Sena won 84 seats, BJP won 82 seats, while NCP won 6 seats and Congress won 30 seats. Allowing Shiv Sena to retain control, BJP supported Sena, but later pulled out support after the allies fell out at a state-level in 2019 over CM post and cabinet distribution. With Congress and NCP giving support to Sena, it won both the Mayor and Deputy Mayor polls in Mumbai Mayor polls - electing Kishori Pednekar and Suhas Wadkar. However, Congress and NCP refused to step down as the Opposition and BJP refused to leave the Standing Committee - working as a part of the Corporation.

Later, Jadhav - who heads the BMC - disqualified BJP-nominated corporator Bhalchandra Shirsat as a member of the panel. With the proposal backed by the opposition (Congress and NCP), Shirsat was removed as a member. While he challenged his disqualification in Bombay High Court and was given interim relief, BMC ratified the Standing Committee’s decision to sack him. This year, Sena, Congress and NCP are planning to jointly fight the BMC polls, while BJP has asserted that it will fight solo.