Decode Politics: Why Maharashtra Khichdi ‘scam’ is back on front burner before LS polls

The alleged Khichdi scam has continued to roil Maharashtra politics, with expelled Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam raking up the row and targeting the Shiv Sena (UBT) after the Uddhav Thackeray-led party announced Amol Kirtikar as its candidate for the Mumbai North West seat for the Lok Sabha polls.

Kirtikar is alleged to be among those involved in the Khichdi scam. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 27 summoned him for questioning in connection with the case barely an hour after he was named as an Uddhav Sena candidate. The agency issued another summon to him on March 29.

An aspirant for the Congress’s ticket from Mumbai North West, Nirupam was upset with the party for letting its ally Uddhav Sena claim the seat. This finally led to his exit from the Congress. Nirupam has accused Kirtikar of being allegedly involved in the Khichdi scam.

On his part, Kirtikar has accused the ED of working on political orders to target him in the case.

Khichdi scam

The alleged Khichdi scam involves irregularities in the contracts allotted to companies by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for the preparation and distribution of khichdi food to migrant workers, who were stuck in Mumbai amid the lockdown during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

After the fall of the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government – led by Uddhav Thackeray – in June 2022 following the split in the Shiv Sena, the subsequent Mahayuti regime – comprising the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena faction and BJP, and later the Ajit Pawar-led NCP faction – launched a host of inquiries into the functioning of the BMC which led to the unearthing of the alleged scam.

In September 2023, the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Mumbai Police registered an FIR against several