Has Fadnavis Ever Been Arrested for Corruption? If So, When?

In an exclusive interview with ThePrint, Devendra Fadnavis, the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, has addressed questions regarding the political alliances of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), corruption allegations, and his own political stance. Fadnavis has clarified the narrative around the BJP's involvement with parties and leaders facing graft allegations, dismissing the 'washing machine' label attached to the party.

Political Alliances and Clean Chits

Fadnavis stated that the BJP has not been a 'washing machine for tainted leaders,' emphasizing that the party has only welcomed Ashok Chavan, who faced corruption charges but was later cleared by the Bombay High Court. Regarding other political alliances, Fadnavis highlighted the investigative agencies' role in verifying accusations:

‘We haven’t taken anyone from their parties into BJP. The agencies will see and do what they feel is right. We aren’t denying that others are in an alliance with us but we haven’t made any deal with them to give a clean chit.’

Allegations Against Ajit Pawar

Devendra Fadnavis has a history of raising allegations against Ajit Pawar, the current Deputy Chief Minister of Mahayuti, during his tenure. Fadnavis has defended his claims, stating that:

‘My allegation was not wrong. If it was wrong, so many people wouldn’t have gone to jail. My allegation was against Ajit Pawar simply because he was the minister of the said department.’

Seat-Sharing Deals and Strategic Alliances

The BJP's recent alliances and the distribution of seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections have been a point of discussion. In the case of Maharashtra's Lok Sabha seats, the Mahayuti alliance inked a plan with 28 seats for the BJP, 15 for the Shinde-led Shiv Sena, and four for the Ajit Pawar-led NCP:

‘We wanted Mumbai South and Thane but in negotiations instead of Mumbai South we took Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg. But we did want Thane and were holding negotiations till the end.’

Fadnavis elaborated on the strategic reasons behind the different seat selections:

‘Late Sena leader Dighe who the Maharashtra CM calls his mentor is largely credited with expanding the Shiv Sena’s roots in Thane and its neighbouring regions including Kalyan Dombivli Ambernath and Bhiwandi. Dighe is said to have groomed Shinde and after his death in 2001 Shiv Sena’s expanse in Thane became Shinde’s fiefdom.’

Modi vs. Rahul: A Clear Political Divide

Fadnavis emphasized a clear political divide in the upcoming elections, stating:

‘The decision of candidates was with Shiv Sena Shinde ji. For us the candidate is of no importance. Anybody who wins from Shiv Sena will win for Modi ji anybody who will win from opposition parties will win for Rahul Gandhi. So we have told our people there is no need to look at the candidate you have to look at Modi ji.’

He further clarified the strategic importance of the alliance:

‘In politics, one shouldn’t predict anything about the future but how I see it now I don’t think it can ever happen because political differences can end at any point of time but the kind of personalized attacks they have made on Modi ji the kind of street language they are using our karyakartas will never want to take them along.’

In conclusion, Fadnavis reiterates the importance of his political alignment and the strategic alliances chosen to ensure a strong support base for Prime Minister Modi.