Devendra Fadnavis targeting Sanjay Shirsat again? Alleged Rs 4,500 crore CIDCO land scam probe strains Mahayuti alliance

The Shinde-led faction, one part of Maharashtra's ruling Mahayuti alliance, has come under fire after the state government launched a high-level probe into the alleged Rs 4,500 crore land scam, directly targeting Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat. This comes months after NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar Shirsat alleged that Shirsat had illegally handed over 15 acres of a prime land plot in Navi Mumbai to the Yashwant Biwalkar family during the latter's tenure as the chairman of City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) in the previous Eknath Shinde-led government. Pawar had alleged that at the time of the allotment, the land had been part of a Supreme Court case, which had placed it under a stay. He had used the forest department's allegations against the Bivalkar family—that they had reportedly used forged documents to claim ownership of the 'human reserve forest area'. Following allegations of inaction, the Devendra Fadnavis-led government on Thursday launched a six-member committee headed by the Konkan Divisional Commissioner to investigate the scam with fresh eyes. With local body elections on the horizon, this has forcibly opened up the ruling Mahayuti alliance to scrutiny, adding to its alleged internal issues—because Shirsat is a close aide of Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. 'The Bivalkar family's proposal was rejected for years on account of every law, rule and judgement. But in the first meeting after becoming the CIDCO chairman Sanjay Shirsat set aside all the rules,' Pawar had alleged, demanding Shirsat's resignation. He had also alleged that the land had originally been allocated for about 10,000 affordable houses for the poor. In an X post on Thursday after the probe was announced, Pawar lauded the move, but also sharply criticised the involvement of Lakshmikant Jadhav in the new probe committee. 'The very officer (Lakshmikant Jadhav) who issued today's GR is the same one who had written a letter to CIDCO recommending the land allotment [to the Bivalkars] ... Therefore, merely setting up a committee won't suffice; it is necessary to conduct an independent inquiry under the supervision of retired judges,' he pointed out, again calling for Shirsat's resignation. Meanwhile, despite Union Home Minister Amit Shah's intervention, constant defections between BJP and the Shiv Sena also continues to fracture the ruling alliance, ahead of the December 3 elections. In that regard, Shirsat, who is also the Guardian Minister for Sambhajinagar, has indicated that the Shiv Sena would not back down if the BJP did not stop 'luring' its leaders, or else there was 'no point in contesting the elections as the Mahayuti'.