File photo of NCP leader Ajit Pawar
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has given the go-ahead for an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Bureau against the state's former Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and other top leaders of his party the Nationalist Congress Party or NCP.
The bureau has been asked to institute "open inquiries" into allegations against Mr Pawar and state NCP president Sunil Tatkare of corruption and irregularities in the execution of irrigation projects worth thousands of crores during their tenures as Water Resource Minister.
The Chief Minister also gave his approval to the bureau's proposal to conduct an open inquiry into allegations of corruption and favouritism against former Public Works Department Minister Chhagan Bhujbal in the construction of the Maharashtra Sadan in New Delhi and two other government buildings in Mumbai.
The government has also ordered an investigation against other irrigation department officials and contractors.
"I have been authorised by Chief Minister of Maharashtra to state that he has cleared open inquiries by the ACB against Ajit Pawar, Sunil Tatkare and Chhagan Bhujbal," Advocate General Sunil Manohar told the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court.
The Chief Minister's okay for an investigation comes a week after the Shiv Sena joined his government, adding the numbers that the BJP needed for a majority in the Maharashtra Assembly.
In the days before the patch-up with the Sena, as they squabbled through negotiations for power-sharing, Sharad Pawar's NCP had offered what it called "unconditional outside support" to ensure the stability of Devendra Fadnavis' minority government.
The Shiv Sena had said then that it would be treacherous of the BJP to accept the support of a party that it had accused of massive corruption during the election campaign.
The NCP and the Congress had ruled Maharashtra in partnership for the last 15 years. They split in Maharashtra just before the elections and placed third and fourth after the BJP and the Shiv Sena, who were one and two. No party managed a majority.