Mumbai: Jailed MLAs Chhagan Bhujbal and Ramesh Kadam of the NCP were among 287 of the State’s 288 MLAs who cast their vote in the presidential elections on Monday. Independent MLA Kshitij Thakur was unable to cast his vote as he is out of the country. Besides the MLAs, BJP Rajya Sabha MP from Pune Sanjay Kakde, who had sought prior permission, voted here instead of the Parliament. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was one of the first to exercise his franchise at Vidhan Bhavan.
There was some drama when Mr. Bhujbal was brought under police escort to cast his vote. Both Mr. Bhujbal and Kadam had obtained permission from the court to cast their votes. The former Deputy Chief Minister, who was brought to Vidhan Bhavan in an ambulance at 11 a.m. from Arthur Road jail, also met party colleagues Ajit Pawar and Jayant Patil in Assembly building after casting his vote. Ajit Pawar was seen inquiring after his health.
“Kindly convey my namaskar to mothe saheb (NCP chief Sharad Pawar). I had wanted to be of assistance to him at this point, as he is getting older, but unfortunately, it is he who is helping us. I want my innocence to be proved before I die. If I die before this is accomplished, people will believe I was guilty. Except cancer, I am suffering from almost all other diseases now. My only prayer is to keep me alive till I am able to prove my innocence,” he said.
After casting his vote, Mr. Bhujbal was brought to the office of Assembly Speaker Ramraje Nimbalkar, where he had lunch and met party colleagues including Leader of Opposition Dhananjay Munde and Jitendra Awhad. He also told Ajit Pawar, “Those accused of cold-blooded murder are able to secure bail from the courts within a year of their incarceration. The party MLAs are doing a good job as the Opposition against the State government in the Assembly."
Mr. Bhujbal has been in jail for the last 16 months, after cases were registered against him by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), for alleged corruption in the tendering process for construction of the Maharashtra Sadan building in New Delhi and two more cases. Several bail applications moved before various courts by Mr. Bhujbal, who was the State PWD Minister when he is alleged to have committed the acts of corruption, have been rejected to date.
Ramesh Kadam's entry and exit was a quick affair, even as the MLA is believed to be miffed with the NCP leadership for abandoning him to his fate since his arrest in the case registered by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police Crime Branch for alleged misappropriation of over ₹300 crore from the Annabhau Sathe Development Corporation, headed by him during the Congress-NCP regime.
