From CM’s aide to a ‘nuisance’: The downfall of minister Mehta
chief minister Devendra Fadnavis took charge of Maharashtra in 2014, he chose Ghatkopar legislator Prakash Mehta as his housing minister. This was seen as a sign of Mehta being one of the very few who were close to Fadnavis.
Two-and-a-half years later, Mehta has not only lost the CM’s favour, but may now become the second member in the Maharashtra cabinet to be ousted over graft charges, the first being revenue minister Eknath Khadse.
The verdict is still out on whether Mehta will be asked to go or demoted in the upcoming cabinet reshuffle. But whatever the decision the party’s top brass in Delhi takes, it’s clear Fadnavis is unlikely to go out of his way to defend his tainted minister. Here’s why:
Mehta is accused of being involved in irregular land deals, where government norms were flouted and contractors favoured. Both cases fly in the face of the government’s claim of being transparent. But, even before these allegations surfaced, the CM had written Mehta off.
“The CM has been upset with Mehta’s way of functioning for some time now. It started with the minister sitting on files and not bothering to clear the rules on the new real estate act. These allegations are a huge embarrassment to the CM and prove how inefficient Mehta is. If the allegations against him gather more steam, he will either be asked to go or he will be given a side portfolio,” said a senior minister.
Mehta was accused of misleading Fadnavis and the housing department in connection with a slum redevelopment project in Tardeo in which a developer allegedly received favour and additional construction rights. In a more recent case, Mehta was accused of overturning a 2012 government decision to revoke the allotment of a state housing agency plot to a developer.
What may work for Mehta is his political significance. The Gujarati community he belongs to has stood firmly behind the BJP. Unlike Khadse, there is no evidence of graft or quid pro quo in Mehta’s case. Fadnavis has maintained he will not play into the hands of the Opposition and sack his ministers without proof.
After all, senior ministers in the cabinet — Pankaja Munde and Vinod Tawde — were accused of irregularities in awarding contracts but managed to retain their position.