BJP's new allegations of ties between Pawar and Balwa

New Delhi: The BJP whipped out another allegation today to suggest that Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar knew Shahid Balwa much better than he has acknowledged. Mr Balwa was arrested a few weeks ago for playing what the CBI believes was a central role in the 2G spectrum scam. As the promoter of Swan Telecom, he is accused of colluding with former Telecom Minister A Raja, now also in jail for virtually gifting valuable spectrum to ineligible companies in 2008.

In the Maharashtra Assembly today, the BJP's Eknath Khadse said that 326 acres near Pune were allotted to a trust. A part of this land has been transferred to Mr Balwa's DB Realty and Panchsheel Tech Park, a company in which Mr Pawar's daughter and son-in-law has stake.

Mr Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said Mr Khadse is incorrect.  "There is no truth to this," said Jitendra Avhad of the NCP.  "The BJP is using the Assembly to spread a rumour. Panchsheel Infrastructure has no partnership with DB Realty.  The Panchsheel owner is a person called Choradia and Sadanand Sule   is a partner."  Mr Sule is married to Mr Pawar's daughter, Supriya, who is an MP.

On Thursday, Mr Khadse told the Maharashtra Assembly that Mr Pawar and his colleagues had travelled to Dubai in Febraury last year with Mr Balwa in a jet owned by Eon Aviation, whose parent company was Mr Balwa's DB Realty.

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At first, the revelation did sting - after all, Mr Pawar had said on record that he did not have any business links with Mr Balwa. "He is 27 years old and I am 70. Can he be my friend? You should understand," the minister had declared.

But the BJP found it tough to maintain its aggressive stand after the NCP and its ally, the Congress, counter-charged that BJP senior leaders, including party president Nitin Gadkari had also used Mr Balwa's aircraft.

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"As a political party, we may have hired their planes but none from our party ever travelled with Balwa," said the BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad.

The BJP's strategy now seems to centre on suggesting that Mr Balwa's Eon Aviation received special treatment from Praful Patel, Mr Pawar's right hand man, while he was the Minister for Civil Aviation.

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On October 23, 2008, Eon Aviation was given permission to operate charter flights along with three other companies.  Between March 18, 2009, and July 17, 2009, EON registered 2 planes and one helicopter - a growth curve out of line with the size of the company, the Opposition claims.

Mr Patel has not spoken to the media about Eon Aviation or Mr Balwa,  but sources close to him say no special favours were shown to the company.

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