Kirit Somaiya is no unknown name in Mumbai and Maharashtra politics. The former Mumbai North East MP took it on himself to fight rival parties over corruption. Since 2014, he has leveled numerous allegations against leaders from Congress and NCP.
After Shiv Sena broke ranks with the BJP and joined hands with the NCP and Congress in 2019 to form the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party also joined Kirit Somaiya’s target group. Somaiya started ‘exposing’ the corruption of leaders of the MVA partiers, often making sensational claims and submitting the proofs of the corruption to investigation agencies like the ED and CBI.
Come 2024, a lot of water has passed under the bridge. Political equations have changed completely. Two major parties, Shiv Sena and NCP, have been split into two, with each faction siding with Mahayuti and MVA. But this change in dynamics isn’t going down well for Somaiya. If it wasn’t painful enough that he did not get a ticket for Lok Sabha elections despite his anti-corruption ‘crusade’, now he faces wrath of media who continue to question him on why leaders he accused of corruption are now his party’s allies and are even fielded in Lok Sabha elections from the Mahayuti.
Narayan Rane
In 2016, Kirit Somaiya accused Narayan Rane of corruption and money laundering. While Rane was still with the Congress, Somaiya even wrote to Satyabrata Kumar, then joint director of the Enforcement Directorate, seeking an investigation into companies run by Rane and his family. The parliamentarian alleged Rane diverted money from tax havens to One Avighna Park, an under-construction luxury residential project in Central Mumbai.
Rane in 2017 quit Congress and extended support to BJP. He was then nominated to Rajya Sabha from the saffron party. Since then, there has been no progress in the probe against him in allegations raised by Somaiya.
Rane is now Somaiya’s party colleague and has been fielded from the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg seat by the BJP.
Sunil Tatkare
Accusing then undivided NCP leaders Ajit Pawar and Sunil Tatkare of corruption in ‘irrigation scam’, Somaiya said both will be in jail along with their colleague Chhagan Bhujbal, who too was in prison then. He even met Raigad additional collector in 2016 and handed over documents in connection with the 'irrigation scam'.
Somaiya had even gone to High Court against Tatkare demanding probe into allegations of money laundering and land grab against former state water resources minister. He had filed a complaint with the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) as well.
Come 2024, Ajit Pawar’s splinter NCP faction has now joined hands with BJP and is a member of Mahayuti. Sunil Tatkare, who was targeted by Somaiya, is now fielded as Mahayuti candidate from Raigad.
Ajit Pawar & Sunetra Pawar
Somaiya had accused Ajit Pawar and his wife Sunetra Pawar of buying the Jarandeshwar sugar mill with the help of shell companies. Somaiya provided documents and tried to establish that Pawar owns the sugar mill, which was earlier a cooperative factory and erected various layers in the transactions.
He had alleged that the Sparkling Soil Private Limited company had 90.5 per cent shares in the Jarandeshwar factory and the company was established by Pawar and his wife Sunetra Pawar. Income tax raids were conducted at various properties belonging to the Pawars in this case.
Now, Sunetra Pawar is contesting election from Ajit Pawar’s NCP, an ally of BJP and member of the Mahayuti.
Yamini Jadhav
Shiv Sena MLA Yamini Jadhav and her corporator husband Yashwant Jadhav were also on Somaiya’s list of corrupt leaders.
Kirit Somaiya accused Jadhav of Rs 1,000 crore scam by money laundering, alleging that the funds were obtained from various scams. Jadhav family has faced ED raids and IT probe in past.
“Shiv Sena leader Yashwant Jadhav and MLA Yamini Yashwant bought 36 buildings (old buildings of "Paghadi") with 1000 flats/shops/offices in Mumbai in the last 24 months. Rs 1000 crore scam exposed. I am confident of actions by ED, Compay Ministry, Income Tax Department in next few days,” Somaiya had said in March 2023.
Soon after Jadhav and her husband joined the Eknath Shinde led Shiv Sena. Since then, the probe agencies’ music against them has subsided.
Now, Yamini Jadhav is contesting Lok Sabha elections from Mumbai South constituency from Shinde’s Shiv Sena, another BJP ally.
Ravindra Waikar
Somaiya had accused Shiv Sena’s Ravindra Waikar of irregularities in construction of his hotel in Jogeshwari and bungalow in Raigad. Waikar was summoned to the ED office.
ED also raided 7 premises linked to Waikar and his associates in January 2024.
Waikar joined the Shiv Sena faction led by Shinde on March 10. Now, he has been fielded as Mahayuti candidate from Mumbai North West.
What did Somaiya say about ‘corrupt’ leaders fighting from Mahayuti?
Somaiya has been lately facing questions regarding his corruption allegations against leaders who’ve now joined BJP or its allies. With some of them being fielded as candidates in Lok Sabha elections from Mahayuti, it is becoming increasingly difficult for Somaiya to justify their inductions.
Somaiya, in an attempt to justify inclusion and subsequent election nomination of these leaders, said the BJP had to ‘compromise’ since they want to make Narendra Modi the Prime Minister for third term.
“Since we have set the goal of making Narendra Modi PM for the third term, we had to make some compromises.” He further said, “I will continue my fight against corruption. I am a dedicated and honest worker of BJP. I am proud of my work. I will campaign for the Mahayuti candidates in all 48 constituencies (in Maharashtra) to ensure we cross the 400 mark and achieve the goal of making Modi PM again.”