Overview
- Kakade was elected unopposed to the Maharashtra legislative council after nominations closed and withdrawals left him the only candidate, with media reporting the unopposed win on Thursday.
- His election affidavit lists family assets exceeding Rs 150 crore and records Rs 10 crore under ‘Loans and Advances to Other Persons’ in the name of Jay Ajit Pawar, son of Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar.
- Kakade has told reporters the Rs 10 crore was not a loan but an advance paid to buy a plot from Jay Pawar, while the affidavit format groups loans and advances together and gives no contract terms or dates.
- The affidavit also shows total loans and advances of about Rs 41.8 crore to multiple individuals and firms and discloses liabilities including income-tax dues, pending tax appeals and a cheque-bounce case.
- The rapid nomination of Kakade, who joined the NCP days before being named the candidate, has provoked resentment among local party workers and put focus on Parth and Sunetra Pawar's influence, with no formal legal challenge reported so far.