Hitendra Thakur

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Hitendra Thakur
President, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA)
Assumed office
2008
Preceded byoffice established
MLA, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly for
Vasai, Palghar
Assumed office
October 2014
Preceded byVivek Pandit
In office
March 1990 – October 2009 (Four terms)
Preceded byGonsalves Dominic John
Succeeded byVivek Pandit
Personal details
Born (1961-10-03) 3 October 1961 (age 59)
Virar, Maharashtra, India
Political partyBahujan Vikas Aghadi
Other political
affiliations		Indian National Congress (1990-1995)
Spouse(s)Pravina Thakur
RelationsJayendra alias "Bhai" Thakur (Brother)
ChildrenKshitij Thakur, Uttung Thakur, Shikhar Thakur
ResidenceThakur Niwas, Virar
Alma materVartak college, Vasai
ProfessionPolitician
Websitehttp://hitendrathakur.com

Hitendra Vishnu Thakur (born 3 October 1961) is an Indian politician from Virar, Maharashtra, India. He is the president of Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi, political party in the Vasai-Virar region of Maharashtra, India.[1] He is the incumbent Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Vasai (Vidhan Sabha constituency) in Palghar district of Maharashtra. His family controls the Viva Group of Companies and Viva Trust which owns the Viva College located in Virar[citation needed].

Political life[]

Hitendra Thakur started his political career in 1988 when elected the President of the Vasai Taluka Youth Congress. Two years later, in the Maharashtra State Assembly elections in 1990, he was elected MLA for Vasai-Virar from the Indian National Congress at the age of 29. Later, he formed his own political party named Vasai Vikas Mandal which was changed to Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi and won 3 subsequent elections as well.[2]

His political party, Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi (BVA) currently holds majority in the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC), Vasai Taluka Panchayat Samiti and various Gram Panchayats in the region. As such he helped Vasant Davkhare get the post of Deputy Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council three times and Govinda (a Bollywood star and a close friend) win the Mumbai North seat in 2004 General elections.[3]

He and his son Kshitij are available to meet during office hours without any appointment and influence. He is fondly referred to as Loknete by his lakhs of supporters. People love to call him Appa in the Vasai-Virar region.

Personal life[]

Thakur was born on 3 October 1961 in Virar , district Palghar (formerly Thane district) in Maharashtra, India in a middle class Hindu family hailing originally from palghar[citation needed]. He did his schooling in Virar and later graduated from the Vartak College in Vasai[citation needed]. While studying in the Vartak College, Vasai, he was elected at the post of general secretary of the student council[citation needed].

In mid-2009 his elder son, Kshitij Thakur won Nalasopara seat.[4] His wife Pravina Thakur became the first female Mayor of Vasai-Virar after his party swept the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation polls by winning 106 seats.[5] His son has graduated from London School of Business.[citation needed]

Criticism and Controversies[]

Water Supply

Thakur is notorious for allegedly keeping the water and electricity problems of Vasai-Virar region unresolved. He allegedly operates the water mafia in the Vasai-Virar constituency, wherein false scarcity of water is created in certain regions through unequitable distribution of water and people are forced to buy water from water tankers on a daily basis. People have resorted to many protests to resolve this matter but deliberately the demands have been blindsided. His stronghold in the constituency is owing to his party's dominance of the Vasai Virar Municipal Corporation (VVMC), which is in cahoots with the water mafia, whereby he constantly blackmails people to vote for his party failing which they would face acute water and electricity shortages during peak hours. Matters got some visibility when 5000 residents of Evershine Global City, Virar (a project partnered by Thakur), went on the streets protesting against inhuman water shortage issues. The Water Mafia Andolan was carried out by the residents in wake of the fact that from 2013 onwards they have been facing acute water shortage, where they were forced to get water from water mafia. Waste water is filled from nearby area and supplied to housing societies.[6]

Other Controversies

On 3 July 2009, the Government of Maharashtra had issued a notification for inclusion of 53 villages in the newly formed Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation. However 49 of the 53 villages had opposed the merger citing environmental and heritage issues and refused the move by forming the Gao Bachao Andolan Samiti under the guidance of Vivek Pandit, longtime opposition candidate of Hitendra Thakur. Thakur had allegedly influenced the police to arrest and assault Vivek Pandit for the same.[7][8][9]

Criminal cases and financial assets[]

His candidate affidavits filed as a candidate in the 2014 Maharashtra Legislative Assembly election, show that Thakur has 8 criminal cases against him (7 where charges are framed, 1 where cognizance is taken, 0 where convicted). He and his spouse have assets of over ₹100 crore (US$14 million), and liabilities of over ₹18 crore (US$2.5 million).[10][11]

As of October 2014, Hitendra Thakur has over ₹19 crore (US$2.7 million) of movable assets, over ₹71 crore (US$10 million) of immovable assets, and over ₹12 crore (US$1.7 million) of liabilities. His wife has over ₹3 crore (US$420,000) of movable assets, over ₹4 crore (US$560,000) immovable assets, and over ₹6 crore (US$840,000) of liabilities.[11]

References[]

  1. ^ "Bahujan Vikas Aghadi ( BVA )". www.bahujanvikasaghadi.com. Retrieved 17 October 2017.
  2. ^ "Candidates with underworld links win". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 17 October 2004. Archived from the original on 31 October 2004.
  3. ^ Prachi Jatania/Express News Service (9 April 2004). "He's the reason why Govinda could win". Express India. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  4. ^ Atalye, Sudhaanshu (23 October 2009). "It's Thakur junior in Nalasopara now". DNA India. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  5. ^ [1]
  6. ^ ZEE 24 TAAS (26 July 2017), Vasai Virar | Water Tankers Filling Waste Water And Providing It To Society, retrieved 27 July 2017
  7. ^ observer (31 August 2009). "Vasai-Virar civic body not a good idea, say villagers". Indian Express. Retrieved 18 September 2012.
  8. ^ Hindustan Times
  9. ^ My Neta. "HITENDRA VISHNU THAKUR(Independent(IND)):Constituency- VASAI(District1) - Affidavit Information of Candidate:". MyNeta.info.
  10. ^ "Maharashtra election 2014. List of candidates in Vasai constituency". www.myneta.info. National Election Watch; Association for Democratic Reforms. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b "Maharashtra election 2014. Profile of Hitendra Vishnu Thakur (winner, Vasai constituency)". www.myneta.info. National Election Watch; Association for Democratic Reforms. Retrieved 19 October 2014.
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