Party opens doors to alleged goons and leaders with criminal backgrounds ahead of BMC polls.

Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) — which used to proudly call itself a ‘party with a difference’ — is inducting alleged gangsters and leaders with criminal backgrounds ahead of the civic body polls in the state. The BJP recently opened its doors to Pawan Pawar, an independent councillor from Nasik, who has been charged with the murder of policeman Krishnkant Bidve. He has also been charged in two extortion cases. The BJP inducted him nonetheless, eying his capacity to take on the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena with muscle power.

When contacted, Mr Pawar told The Asian Age, “These are false charges made against me by the police and administration. The local public knows me very well. Also, the BJP must have investigated details of the charges against me before my induction.”

Mr Pawar isn’t the only one, though — many other controversial local gangsters in Nasik and Pune have gotten an entry into the BJP recently. Gangster Vitthal Shelar, charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), was inducted into the party by Pune’s guardian minister, Girish Bapat. He was made the chief of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) in the Bhor, Velhe and Mulashi areas, even though Shelar is out on bail that the Bombay high court granted.

The list doesn’t stop there. In October 2016, chief minister Devendra Fadanvis was seen meeting Kamalakar Kisan alias Baba Bodakhe at the former’s residence, Varsha, in Mumbai. Bodakhe is also facing MCOCA charges, apart from 12 other stringent charges, of which four are murder cases. The Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) had later issued a clarification, saying the CM’s appointment had been with someone else and the CM was not aware about Bodakhe.

These inductions into the BJP have comes under heavy criticism from all corners. The Shiv Sena, a bitter ally of the party, has raised questions about the issue. “The BJP holds the home ministry in the state and is inducting people who are known for criminal activities. So what exact indications does the BJP want to give the voters?” asked Sena leader Neelam Gorhe.

The Congress, too, targeted the BJP. Party spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “The BJP has lost all morality while inducting such people in its fold for power. Earlier, the BJP was seen protecting corrupt ministers and leaders, but now its real face is out in the open. The party is giving ‘Rajmanyataa’ to such criminals.”

But BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari denied the charges of his party being power hungry. “The chief minister has already cleared our stand on this. When the party grows, you cannot deny each and every person. Yet we are trying to check the backgrounds of a maximum number of people. But we want to make an assurance that, even though a few such people have come into the BJP, the party or government will not protect their wrongdoings. The law will take its own course,” Mr Bhandari said.