Mumbai: On the second consecutive day Nationalist Congress Leader, Jayant Patil levelled allegations against Chandrakant Patil, who also holds Public Works Department, putting a question mark on his political future. Chandarakant, who is being considered a strong contender in the race for Chief Minister, will find himself out of reckoning. Patil’s fate is being equated with that of Eknath Khadse, who too faced a similar situation of misuse of his post as a former revenue minister and a strong contender for the CM post was shown the door. Most believe the mastermind responsible for these expose's is Devendra Fadnavis, who smartly sidelines his rivals.
Chandrakant is known to be a close confidante of Bharatiya Janata Party national president, Amit Shah. His proximity to Shah enabled Chandrakant to get a key portfolio, the Public Works Department (PWD) even though he was not a senior leader. After Khadse was sacked from the cabinet over corruption charges, Patil was allotted two powerful portfolios--Revenue and PWD. He then was considered number two in Maharashtra cabinet. When the State was witnessing numerous Maratha rallies, Fadnavis being a Brahmin was portrayed as anti-Maratha and Chandrakant was portrayed as the ideal CM candidate. It was being said, Chandrakant was a conspirator with the Maratha leaders to hold these successful rallies in different cities. He spread the word through his workers across the party and government that he was in fact the best choice to be a CM.
Even during the farmers' agitation, Chandrakant's role was considered suspicious. He was believed to have surreptitiously organised the whole agitation against the government. Fadnavis kept track of all these various developments and his informers had ensured he was updated with Chandrakant's activities. In the latest cabinet reshuffle, CM had wanted to cut Chandrakant down to size by giving the PWD portfolio to the Congress crossover, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil. It is said, Chandrakant used his clout with Shah and shot down this attempt.
A frustrated Fadnavis is believed to have then tried to shift him as the BJP state chief, but that move too was scuttled by Chandrakant. If BJP wins the Assembly polls, there is likely to be a demand for a non-Brahmin CM. With Shah's position as number two in the Union cabinet, it is believed he will intervene and make Chandrakant Patil the CM.
Sources say, this is why Fadnavis may have leaked this crucial information to the opposition. In the Khadse's corruption case too, sources said, he played a key role in providing the documentation. It must be noted, when this issue was raised in State Assembly, Fadnavis was conspicuous by his absence. When Chandrakant and other BJP MLAs protested Jayant's allegations, the CM refrained from rushing to the Assembly despite being in the Vidhan Bhavan.
- Pramod Chunchuwar
