Overview:

Activist-politician Arvind Kejrival has accused BJP President Nitin Gadkari of colluding with the ruling Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra for furthering his business interests at the cost of farmers. The region involved, Vidarbha, is infamous as the farmer suicide capital of the country. Gadkari is a businessman: Kejrival accuses him of being a conniving one, while he calls himself a social entrepreneur.

The Allegations:
Ajit Pawar(of NCP) was forced to quit as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra last month after allegations of a 70,000-crore irrigation scam on his watch erupted into a major controversy - the swindle centres on that money being spent on dams and canals that improved the state's irrigation ability by a negligible 0.1%. The allegations by Mr Kejriwal add a new dimension to that scam. He says that the state acquired more land than needed for a dam in Umred, about 40 kms from Nagpur, in the region of Vidarbha, home to some of the poorest farmers in India. The rules require the government to return excess land to farmers - either by selling it back to them, or by leasing it to them. But instead, Mr Kejriwal says, in June 2005, Mr Gadkari wrote to Mr Pawar, asking for 100 acres of this unutilised land in Umred to be given to his company. Kejrival says that barely two weeks later the govt agreed to Mr Gadkaris proposal for a 99 year lease. Allegedly, Ajit Pawar diverted water meant for irrigation to power industry on a large scale. These industries either belong to politicians or have strong political connections across all parties. Nitin Gadkari himself has five such power producing industries and three sugar industries in Maharashtra. And that is the reason why Nitin Gadkari did not wish to raise the issue of corruption in irrigation dams. In some areas, Gadkari's companies are a source of huge pollution causing inconvenience to local people. Despite repeated complaints from the villagers, obviously, no action has been taken by the government because the Gadkari has excellent relations with all parties in power. Gadkari is also believed to have lobbied for contractors building a controversial mega-project dam in Vidarbha, attracting sharp attacks from the Congress.

Gadkaris defence:

Land in question was given on lease to a charitable trust which works as a cooperative and he does not own it .

He has been active in the Vidarbha region as a social enterprise to prevent farmer suicides Only 0.85% water from the dam is used for power project, rest goes to farmers for irrigation. The land was wasteland and not farmland as alleged. Gadkari has provided subsidised sugarcane saplings to the farmers of Maharashtra. Denies links to any contractors.

How is it related to debates? Can a businessman be a good politician?