'Washing Machine BJP': Opposition Chorus Grows Louder As More Leaders Join The Party

With a flurry of political honchos, many of whom faced corruption charges in the past, switching to the BJP, the Opposition has raised question if the saffron party has become a 'washing machine'.

Former Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan (right), with Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and BJP state president Chandrashekar Bawankule (left), after switching to the BJP from the Congress in Mumbai.

The horde of Opposition leaders joining the BJP over the past few years has time and again earned it the dubious nickname of "washing machine" of Indian politics. From Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma to Maharashtra heavyweight Ashok Chavan who switched from the Congress to the BJP on Tuesday — the BJP seems to be on a membership campaign taking in leaders that it previously berated for being "corrupt".

Every time a 'tainted' leader joins the ruling party, the Opposition joins the chorus to point out that the BJP is nothing short of a washing machine used to launder political heavyweights. In fact, Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee held a 'washing machine protest' on Kolkata's iconic Red Road (Indira Gandhi Sarani), to mock the BJP.

Last year, when NCP leader Ajit Pawar successfully orchestrated a rebellion against his uncle and party founder Sharad Pawar, the Congress pointed out that the BJP's washing machine was back in action. Former Bihar Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav also called BJP a "washing machine", pointing out that Chhagan Bhujbal (who allied with the BJP under Ajit Pawar) had been chargesheeted, yet the BJP had no qualms in allying with his party and making him a minister. The Congress echoed Tejashwi.

On Tuesday, the Congress again called the BJP a "washing machine" after veteran party leader Ashok Chavan joined the BJP.

So, why have the Opposition parties named the BJP "washing machine"? Which leaders have found prominence under the BJP after joining the saffron party or allying with it? Here are some of the prominent faces in the BJP who switched to the saffron party or allied with it after facing massive corruption charges. 

Ashok Chavan

The latest in the coterie of Opposition leaders joining the BJP is former Congress heavyweight and Maharashtra ex-CM Ashok Chavan. Chavan has repeatedly faced accusations of corruption and nepotism. Allegations of his corruption resurfaced during the last Interim Budget session when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman listed out a list of 'scams' during the Congress-led UPA era. Among the instances of corruption mentioned by Sitharaman was the Adarsh Housing scam, with which Chavan is allegedly associated. He was among the 14 suspects named in a 2011 FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Suvendu Adhikari

Former Trinamool Congress leader and minister in the Mamata Banerjee Cabinet, Suvendu Adhikari, switched to the BJP in 2020. Adhikari had been named in the FIR by the CBI pertaining to the Narada sting. He quickly shot to prominence in the saffron party, especially after defeating Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee on the Nandigram seat in the 2021 elections. He was questioned by the CBI in 2014, but there has been no movement on the case after that.

Mukul Roy

One of the founding members of the TMC, former Union minister Mukul Roy broke away from Mamata Banerjee in 2017 and joined the BJP. He, too, was among the leaders allegedly caught taking bribes in the Narada sting operation, along with Suvendu Adhikari. The BJP had posted a video on its YouTube channel, slamming the TMC. However, the video was promptly removed after Mukul Roy joined the party, However, another video where Amit Shah can be seen slamming the TMC over its leaders "taking bribes on camera" is still on the BJP's YouTube channel.

Ajit Pawar

Ajit Pawar, known for his coups within the NCP – broke away a faction of senior NCP leaders and joined the BJP-Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) government. He was immediately made the Deputy CM of Maharashtra, while other NCP leaders like Ashok Chavan and Chhagan Bhujbal. The BJP used to allege that Ajit Pawar was the mastermind behind the Rs 70,000-crore irrigation scam during his tenure as the state irrigation minister. BJP leader and now the Maharashtra Deputy CM, Devendra Fadnavis, had even vowed to jail Ajit Pawar for his role in the scam. But now, Fadnavis shares the Deputy CM's chair with Pawar.

Ajit Pawar was also linked with the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) fraud case. However, Pawar got a clean chit from the Economic Offences Wing in January this year.

Chhagan Bhujbal

Chhagan Bhujbal joined the Ajit Pawar-led faction of the NCP to ally with the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP (Ajit Pawar) government in Maharashtra. He also secured a berth in the Shinde cabinet. The NCP leader was charged under the PMLA over the Maha Sadan scam of around Rs 1,000 crore and arrested in 2016. Bhujbal and the members of his family were arrested on money-laundering charges related to the Maharashtra Sadan scam while he was in the Opposition.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has now withdrawn its petition in the Bombay High Court against NCP (Ajit Pawar faction) leader Chhagan Bhujbal.