From truck cleaner to minister

Son of a small farmer from village Turambav near Savarde, Bhaskar Jadhav first came to Chiplun, a big city near his village with hopes of becoming rich. He started off as a cleaner and then worked as a truck driver,  transporter with a fleet of his own trucks, contractor for Enron, Shiv Sena activist,  Sena taluka pramukh and finally a member of legislative assembly. He left the Sena and joined the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), where he was made state unit general secretary and later a minister of state.

The life story of the man in the eye of the storm, Bhaskar Jadhav, is a rags to riches success story. Jadhav’s father, Bhaurao had a small piece of land. Even though Bhaskar Jadhav publicly says he couldn’t get an opportunity to pursue college education, many who know him closely say, on condition of anonymity, that he is a non-matric.

Jadhav started off as a cleaner on a truck and soon learnt driving. He worked as a truck driver for some time. He bought an old truck and started his own business. He started his political career as a Shiv Sainik. His courage made him Chiplun taluka pramukh, which made him Bhaskarsheth.

Ramdas Kadam, a powerful Sena leader in the area, helped Jadhav get an assembly election ticket in 1995 and Bhaskarsheth was elected Chiplun MLA. He retained the Chiplun seat in the 1999 polls, but left the Sena after the party did not give him a ticket due to growing complaints against him within the party.

Jadhav contested as an independent and ensured the defeat of the Shiv Sena candidate. He became a contractor for Enron and supplied material to the Enron site in Guhagar.
He came in contact with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar, who insisted that Jadhav be brought within the fold of the party. Many in Chiplun say it was after Pawar roped in NCP leader Sunil Tatkare that Jadhav’s entry in NCP was a reality.

NCP gave a ticket to Jadhav in Guhagar as there was delimitation of Chiplun in 2008. Jadhav defeated Sena strongman Ramesh Kadam. Jadhav was rewarded for being a giant killer and was made a minister.

Lavish birthday still talking point of town
Even though the lavish weddings of son and daughter put Bhaskar Jadhav in the eye of a storm, many in Chiplun remember Jadhav’s lavish birthday celebrations. Chiplunkars said that Jadhav distributed thousands of watches, the NCP symbol and thousands of sarees. The menu at the birthday celebration is also a talking point. Many in Chiplun are surprised how the police department permitted the procession and band for this wedding till 2.30 am. The procession was taken from the hotel where the wedding was held and Jadhav’s residence, a new bungalow on Bombay-Goa highway on the outskirts of Chiplun.