Will saffron party, which came to power in state promising zero tolerance towards corruption, bend rules for an ally? There’s no time like the present for the Opposition to mount a challenge, but will it?

Parth Pawar, son of Nationalist Congress Party chief Ajit Pawar and one of the stakeholders in a company that allegedly bought a land meant for the marginalised in Pune that belongs to the government. Pic/Instagram/@parthajitpawar

A fresh controversy has erupted over a Pune land deal involving Parth Pawar, son of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. For many, it brings back memories of the Adarsh housing scam more than 15 years ago, when influential government officials were accused of bending the rules to grab prime land in the posh Colaba area of South Mumbai. The two cases are not identical, but the questions about influence and fairness raised in both instances remain the same.

In 2010, when the Adarsh scam broke out, the BJP, then in the Opposition, built pressure on the Congress-led government. This ultimately forced the resignation of Ashok Chavan, then the chief minister, who is now a BJP MP.

For many, the Pune land deal appears like another addition to Maharashtra’s long list of real estate disputes. But the situation today is very different. The BJP, which once claimed the moral high ground and attacked others over questionable land deals, now faces similar questions while being in power both at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

A government with 232 MLAs in a 288-seat House is........

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