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After BJP's Kirit Somaiya targets 'Bandra Sahib' over 'corruption', Shiv Sena 'unearths' SRA scam

Posted on May 16, 2016 from Delhi ι Report #82447

Days after BJP MP Kirit Somaiya accused a 'Bandra Sahib' of corruption in the civic department, the Shiv Sena on Sunday came down heavily on its ally's party leader by seemingly unearthing an SRA scam.

Leaving no stone unturned to corner its ally, Sena in its mouthpiece 'Saamna' published a news report accusing him of acquiring the SRA project in Santacruz under the name of 'Medha Builders and Developers' registered in his wife's name.

The move by Sena comes after Somaiya last week alleged that there was 'a 'ghotala' (corruption) in every (civic) department and the BMC was in the 'grip of a powerful mafia' being controlled by a 'sahib from Bandra and his PA'. The BJP Parliamentarian from Mumbai did not identify the persons he was referring to but his comment was seen as a veiled criticism of the Shiv Sena.

The Saamna report also said that the BJP MP had bought the project from some other company at Rs 15 crore. When the owner of the land passed away, Somaiya presented an affidavit in the court and misguided it to get the verdict in his favour.

The allegation and counter allegations by both the party leaders are being seen as an opportunity to defame each other ahead of civic body polls, which they are likely to fight separately.

Amid the severe drought faced by the state, BJP has accused the Shiv Sena of sheltering water mafias while the Shiv Sena has alleged that BJP was trying to control the administration of BMC using municipal commissioner Ajoy Mehta.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections are due early 2017. The country's richest civic body has been run by saffron allies for over two decades now.

The allies are putting up an aggressive front in Mumbai after the bitterly fought KDMC polls. While they had put behind the rancour of the KDMC elections and the Sena and BJP struck a deal to share power in the civic body, it is unlikely to happen in upcoming civic polls in Mumbai.