Money, power and Patils

This election, they pose a serious challenge to former Congress chief minister A R Antulay who is contesting from the Colaba constituency in the district. Several top guns in NCP and Congress led by Sharad Pawar are planning to end the monopoly of the Patils. And the Patils are gearing up for one more battle.

8216;8216;I represent the third generation of the Patil family and our fourth generation has just entered the fray,8217;8217; says Jayant, head of the Patil fiefdom.

Just two years ago, the family had pushed the Congress led Democratic Front government in Maharashtra on the verge of collapse by pulling out of the front over a trivial matter. Pawar and Vilasrao Deshmukh spent several sleepless nights before they managed to save the government. But by then, the Patil family had proved its might.

For over four decades, it has maintained its hold over a large chunk of Raigad district, using every tactic to tame their opponents.

Jayant is a member of Legislative Council, sister Meenaxi is MLA from Alibaug and wife Supriya was chairperson of zila parishad till last year. He also heads the Rs 600 crore Raigad district central cooperative bank since 1991.

8216;8216;They have minted money like anything,8217;8217; alleges D B Patil, one of the top leaders of the party till he was sidelined by Jayant. Congress and Shiv Sena leaders describe the PWP as party of the rich.

8216;8216;The Patil family has done little for the people and have filled their own pockets. Bagging government contracts and restricting power in the hands of the family members is what they have been doing for years,8217;8217; says district Congress president Ravi Patil.

Jayant disagrees. 8216;8216;What is bad in doing business? My family is in business for decades.8217;8217;

The Patils have diversified business interests. They own PNP Maritime Services which runs private jetties and catamaran services between Mumbai and Alibaug and also run Krishival, a Marathi daily.

In the midst of crisis when his party pulled out of Democratic Front government, the Maharashtra cabinet cleared a policy giving heavy concessions to private jetties. It was done to appease Patil. The only application before the ports department was of the PNP Maritime Services.

Jayant is defiant. 8216;8216;We earned money through legal means. Why should we be ashamed of it,8217;8217; he asks.

The family owns a fleet of cars including a Mercedes and a Sonata. Each member has a separate bungalow at Pezari, their native village near Alibaug.

So, how do they manage to maintain control over the organisation? 8216;8216;We have always made it a point not to allow old guards to continue in key positions. All our office bearers are young,8217;8217; he says.

The organisation is closely knit. Jayant and Meenaxi Patil always carry a handbook with detailed information on the PWP activists and key persons in each village.

Opponents accuse them of spreading terror. Jayant replies: 8216;8216;We do not indulge into it but then we are not cats so that anyone can shoo us away.8217;8217;

Are they not afraid of Pawar and the Congress? 8216;8216;We have been fighting the Congress for 50 years. Who is afraid of them?8217;8217; asks Meenaxi.