Uddhav visits close aide Ravindra Waikar amid rumours of him joining Shinde

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut told the media after the visit that lasted 30 minutes, “Uddhavji went meet Waikaras he is being harassed by central agencies. He is a heart patient, and Uddhavji had gone tohis house to show support

In a stark departure from his usual style of politics that is conducted mainly from within the confines of Matoshree, Uddhav Thackeray went to the house of his close aide and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Ravindra Waikar on Thursday. Waikar is being investigated by the Enforecement Directorate in a case of alleged money-laundering, and his house was raided recently by the central agency.

Waikar is considered to be a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray. He began his career in Shiv Sena as a corporator in 1992 and was elected to the civic body for four terms. He was also chairman of the civic standing committee which controls the treasury of the BMC from 2006 to 2010. (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

Thackeray’s visit to Waikar’s Jogeshwari home comes amid speculation that the Thackeray loyalist and 3-time party MLA was under intense pressure to switch to the Eknath Shinde camp.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut told the media after the visit that lasted 30 minutes, “Uddhavji went meet Waikaras he is being harassed by central agencies. He is a heart patient, and Uddhavji had gone tohis house to show support. He is, after all, a member of our Sena family.” Raut also dismissed talk of Waikar switching sides as speculation. “I don’t think he will go.”

Waikar himself did not respond to calls from this newspaper.

Waikar is considered to be a close aide of Uddhav Thackeray. He began his career in Shiv Sena as a corporator in 1992 and was elected to the civic body for four terms. He was also chairman of the civic standing committee which controls the treasury of the BMC from 2006 to 2010. In 2009, he was elected as MLA from Jogeshwari for the first time and then re-elected for another two terms. He was a minister of state for higher and technical education from 2015 to 2019.

He is under investigation in a money-laundering case in the construction of a luxury hotel on a BMC plot in Mumbai which was originally meant to be a recreation ground. Last year the Mumbai police had filed a case against Waikar and five others for alleged cheating after which the ED took over the case. On January 9, the agency conducted searches at seven premises in the city belonging to Waikar and his business partners and associated entities. Investigators have also recently recorded the statement of civic officials who had dealt with the case change of use of the said plot. Waikar who has denied any wrongdoing has sought more time to appear before ED.

Earlier, the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai police too had conducted a preliminary inquiry into the alleged irregularities after BJP leaders Kirit Somaiya and Ashis Shelar had alleged that permissions to change the land use of the Jogeshwari plot which lies near Matoshri Club from a recreation ground to build a five-star hotyel had been illegally obtained. The EOW had also sent notices to officials of the BMC’s Garden and Building Department asking them to join the investigation.

“I don’t know about Waikar joining us but there are several people in Shiv Sena (UBT) who are wanting to join us,” said Shiv Sena spokersperson Naresh Mhaske. “Uddhav Thackeray must introspect to understand why such a situation has arised that he now has to roam from one shakha to another.”

In addition to Waikar, Aaditya Thackeray’s personal assistant Suraj Chavan too is under ED custody for alleged corruption in distribution of khichdi during Covid and as is another UBT leader and former mayor Kishori Pednekar alleged irregularities in the supply of body bags during the pandemic.