MUMBAI: Union home minister Amit Shah on Monday laid the foundation for the new state BJP headquarters, a 10-storey building to be constructed on a 1,378-square-metre plot at Marine Lines.
The Opposition, however, has trained its guns on the BJP, raising questions on the land acquisition and the prompt approvals given by the BMC for its transfer.
SP OVER 55,000 square feet, the office will house a 400-seat auditorium, six meeting rooms, a conference hall, a four-storey parking facility, residential facility, waiting lounge and a medical centre. The plot was acquired by the party for ₹90 crore.
Even as Shah waxed poetic about offices being like “temples” for the BJP, the Opposition chose to raise questions on the procurement of the land and the uncommonly speedy approvals by the BMC for its transfer. In a letter to Shah, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut alleged that the BJP had acquired the plot, which was reserved for residential purposes, through a deal with a builder, Eknath Realtors.
Raut said that the land, given on a 99-year lease by the BMC in 1902, was jointly in the possession of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Finance Corporation (MSFC), which had 54% of the area and the Wasani family, which had the rest. Later, it was found that the Wasani family had mortgaged the land with some banks without the knowledge of the BMC. In 2017, a hearing was held by the civic body but no action was ever taken.
According to Raut, Eknath Realtors “suddenly” entered the scene and on April 1, 2025, applied for the land mortgaged to the banks. The BMC’s property department gave the approval on April 4. Eknath Realtors then applied for the rest of the land, and this too was approved on paying transfer charges of ₹21.35 crore.
“On May 21, the BJP submitted an application to transfer the land to it for its headquarters, and this was approved on May 22. On May 31, the process to transfer the land was completed,” said Raut. “While so many public-interest matters are pending, the BJP land file was approved at the speed of a jet.”
NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar also raised questions in a post on X. “It is being said that the MSFC building on the land was shown as ‘dangerous’ in order to acquire the land…” he said. “The land is Schedule W land (referring to city properties governed by the BMC). Tomorrow, many important lands like the Mahalaxmi Racecourse could similarly be handed over to private players.”
CM Devendra Fadnavis, however, said that all rules had been followed. “We did not want government land or concessions or shortcuts,” he said. “Every procedure was followed. But I knew from Day One that certain people would raise questions on it. People in the habit of land-grabbing should not point fingers at others.”