#ChhaganBhujbal |  Vegetable vendor to top political leader ex Dy CM rise and fall mirrors his greedy bets

However, Bhujbal, whose rise from an ordinary street vegetable vendor to a high profile politician, failed to realise the limits of his greed as he pursued his passion to think big and take bigger bets. He relied heavily on his nephew Sameer Bhujbal that only often landed him in fresh controversies. Incidentally, Sameer, who was the NCP MP from Nashik seat during 2009-14, was already taken into custody by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) last month in connection with money laundering and corrupt practies.

Bhujbal, who had assumed the office of Mumbai Mayor twice during his days in Shiv Sena, preferred to retain the lucrative Public Works department notorious for transfers and promotions and road contracts. Sameer had allegedly played key role in recommending names of aspirants on key posts and even reinstatement of some suspended officers. The decision to award a major contract of construction of Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi to a private builder and a NCP supporter brought Bhujbal back under scanner. Besides, he is believed to brought pressure on the officers of the regional transport department for the development of a new facility in north west Mumbai. The builder stuck a deal with another and sold the development rights for Rs 850 crore. Bhujbal allegedly received kickbacks.

Undeterred by burgeoning criticism by the BJP and Shiv Sena, who were in opposition, and also by NGOs, Bhujbal went on to defend the decision claiming that it was not his personal one but by the cabinet sub committee.

Further, Bhujbal led Public works department stuck a Rs 124 crore deal with a leading business house involved in real estate, infrastructure to build a library for the Mumbai univeresity in Kalina allowing the same company to build flats on the rest of the plot. In lieu, the same company donated Rs 2.5 crore to the Bhujbal Foundation.

Bhujbal continued to hit headlines for large sum of cash allegedly laundered with the help of hawala operators into shell companies floated by Sameer. Despite rising chorus against Bhujbal and demand by the opposition and NGOs, the Congress-NCP government preferred not to act fast. The BJP-Shiv Sena ahead of the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections in 2014 promised to book the culprit and after assuming power gave full freedom to investigation agencies to put all cases involving Bhujbals on the fast track.

The ED probe has revealed that over a dozen companies based out of Kolkata bought shares in companies fully owned by the Bhujbals on unrealistic premiums which subsequently was channeled through several other companies to launch projects like the Hex World housing project in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai.

The allegation against the Bhujbals – including son Pankaj and nephew Sameer – these Kolkata based companies were floated to reroute the bribes taken while awarding the contracts. Meanwhile, Bhujbal tried to put up a brave front arguing that there is nothing wrong in various contracts awarded and the formation of shell companies. Incidentally, Bhujbal’s mentor and guide Sharad Pawar also came out in support alleging that the BJP led government was playing vendetta politics.

However, Bhujbal, who had dared to arrest his ‘God’ and the Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray in 2000 in connection with a case against the Sena mouthpiece for inciting the 1992-93 riots, had come to the realisation that tough days are ahead. It was too late as ED had filed two FIRs on June 17, 2015 against him, Pankaj and Sameer for alleged money laundering. This was after the state Anti Corruption Bureau searched 26 properties.

His critics claim that Bhujbal’s rise and fall provides a readymade script for a Bollywood potboiler. Will Bhujbal come out clean or will the image of a scamster finally stick? Or will he once again make a comeback which has defined his political career will all depend on how the political leadership in Maharashtra decide this forward. By Agencies.