Once UAPA accused over Dawood ‘links’, Sena (UBT) leader finds place in BJP ahead of Nashik civic polls

On Tuesday, BJP MLA Seema Hiray publicly opposed Badgujar’s induction into the party, while Bawankule and senior BJP leader Ravindra Chavan initially claimed “no information” about it. Unhappy with the Sena (UBT), Badgujar had recently met Fadnavis.

Another former Sena (UBT) leader, Babanrao Gholap, joined the party along with Badgujar. The induction was held at the BJP’s Mumbai headquarters, with state minister Girish Mahajan attending a massive show of strength put up by Badgujar and Gholap.

On Bawankule’s unhappiness, BJP insiders said the state party chief blames Badgujar for the leaking of controversial photos featuring him back in 2023. The images purportedly at a casino in Macau were shared by Raut. A BJP leader said that while Bawankule tried to stop Badgujar’s induction, “Girish Mahajan pushed for it and went ahead anyway, since CM Fadnavis too was in favour”.

Hiray has her own reasons for resisting Badgujar, having faced off against him – and defeated him – in the 2014 and 2024 Assembly elections from Nashik West. Party leaders say the tension between the two will reflect in the BJP’s Nashik unit. Several local leaders feared the move weakens the BJP’s stance on being uncompromising on law and order. However, others point to how this will hurt the Sena (UBT), with the Nashik area its bastion and civic polls coming up.

Asked about Badgujar Tuesday, Hiray said: “I was among those who had called him anti-national. There are serious criminal charges pending against him. He even contested against me. How can we welcome him into our fold now?”

Who is Sudhakar Badgujar?

A successful contractor with considerable financial clout, a known public face in Nashik, and a three-term corporator who rose to become the Shiv Sena’s Nashik district chief, Badgujar went with the Sena (UBT) in the party’s split and hit the headlines in 2023 when BJP MLA Nitesh Rane accused Badgujar of sheltering Salim Kutta, an alleged associate of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and a convict in the 1993 Mumbai blasts. A video of Badgujar dancing with Salim Kutta at a private event also surfaced around that time.

Following this, an FIR was registered against Badgujar under the stringent UAPA by the then Mahayuti government, and a Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted to probe the matter. He was subsequently externed from Nashik district – a decision he is still contesting in court.

The BJP used the allegations against Badgujar to attack the Sena (UBT). The matter became stickier for Uddhav Thackeray’s party during the 2024 Assembly elections when rivals dug out that Badgujar’s son Deepak had been booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in 2021 in connection with a murder case.

While Badgujar’s successive bids to break through into the Maharashtra Assembly were thwarted, he retained his influence in the party and city politics owing to his grassroots connections and strong knowledge of civic body administration.

On June 4, soon after he had a meeting with Fadnavis to reportedly lobby for filling vacant posts in the Nashik Municipal Corporation, Badgujar was expelled from the Sena (UBT) over alleged anti-party activities. Then Badgujar’s video with Salim resurfaced. Going on the offensive, the Sena (UBT) pointed out that at the aforesaid controversial event, several BJP leaders had also been present.

Meanwhile Nitesh Rane, a former united Sena leader now in the BJP, called Badgujar a changed man. Having linked him with Dawood Ibrahim in 2023, Rane said Tuesday: “Badgujar has been heading towards Hindutva… His son has also participated in morchas of Hindu organisations.”

Fadnavis, who was part of the government that ordered the SIT in 2023 against Badgujar, pointed out Wednesday that no action had been taken or initiated against him. “It is true that there were allegations against Badgujar and our Nitesh Rane also shared a video. However, after a probe was conducted, no action was taken. This is when he was in the Opposition. So there is no question about us giving him a clean chit because he joined the BJP… Now he is in the BJP, leaving his past, and should follow the ethics of the party,” the CM said.

Who is Babanrao Gholap?

A former minister, five-time Deolali MLA and an influential Maratha face, Gholap’s entry into the BJP was overshadowed by the row involving Badgujar.

However, Gholap has been a familiar figure in Maharashtra’s political landscape for over four decades, starting his association with the united Sena in the early 1980s.

His career was hit by corruption allegations, with activist Anna Hazare’s accusations against him of amassing disproportionate wealth leading to his resignation from the Cabinet in the late 1990s. Following a 13-year legal battle, Gholap and his wife were convicted by a Mumbai Sessions Court.

In 2014, Gholap withdrew as the Sena’s candidate from the Shirdi Lok Sabha seat due to the disqualification arising from the court ruling.

Gholap has been out of the Sena (UBT) since February 2024, when he resigned claiming he had not been treated well by the leadership.