Mumbai: Shiv Sena’s Mumbai North West candidate Ravindra Waikar said at a press conference Friday that he reached out to Uddhav Thackeray thrice for help after the probe agencies came calling, but was turned away.
“I suggested to him that perhaps we could reach out to the higher authorities, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to convey that the unfolding events were unjust. However, Uddhav expressed his inability to intervene. He said whatever it is, I have to face it on my own,” Waikar said.
“But I was already facing the agencies. The fact is that my party head should have stood by me but that did not happen,” the 65-year-old politician said.
In January, Waikar faced interrogation by the ED in connection with an alleged Rs 500 crore money laundering case related to the construction of a high-end hotel in Jogeshwari while allegedly breaching his agreement with the BMC. In a recent interview to Maharashtra Times, Waikar said: “After being falsely implicated, I was left with only two options, either go to jail or switch parties … . It was with a heavy heart that I switched sides … . When my wife’s name was also included (in this case), I had no choice left … .”
Waikar approached Shinde, who he claimed attentively listened to his concerns and questioned the actions of the agencies. “He called the officers concerned and asked why that was happening,” Waikar said.
After Shinde supported him, Waikar said all his “tension and depression” caused by the questioning and allegations went away.
Waikar said that it had not always been smooth sailing with Shinde as far as his rapport with him was concerned, but after a series of meetings and fruitful discussions about their agenda they managed to iron out their differences.
“We both had our own priorities to address, many of which were significant,” Waikar said.
Brushing aside any notion of “true” and “false” Shiv Sena, Waikar said he had previously contested elections under the symbol of the bow and arrow and continued to do so with his current affiliation.
“I am fighting the election without any stress and believe the mood on the street is in favour of Modi getting a third term,” he said.
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Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.Sumitra Deb Roy is a health journalist with more than 17 years of...
Read MoreSumitra Deb Roy is a health journalist with more than 17 years of experience across India’s leading newspapers. She is currently a senior assistant editor with the Times of India, where she has extensively covered the Covid-19 pandemic and highlighted the unprecedented challenges faced by the health systems in Mumbai and Maharashtra. She recently co-authored a book titled “Mumbai Fights Back” that chronicles the city’s battle with Covid-19. She holds a postgraduate degree in journalism from the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai and a bachelor’s in political science from Calcutta University.
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