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Sudhanshu Mittal

October 19, 2010 by · Comments Off on Sudhanshu Mittal 

Sudhanshu Mittal, That shadowy figure in the BJP that everyone knows is there. But it has only been discussed in some controversy has forced his name out. And then back into the shadows.

Sudhanshu Mittal is still most identified as a close associate of Pramod Mahajan. A student and youth leader who met and befriended the late Mahajan in 1980 and whose influence grew in direct proportion to the meteoric rise in the BJP’s Mahajan.

Professionally, he is a wealthy businessman from Delhi, has a thriving business tent and carrying sleeve. He is often quoted as proudly proclaiming that he is a “tentwallah.” But Mittal’s desire to be known as a politician and not a businessman and political adviser comes through the media in every interview. He even tried to become a Rajya Sabha MP and failed, thwarted in his two bids by party leaders.

Mittal is given an important role in creating the living room war Pramod Mahajan and famous and impressive communications center at 7 in the residence of late BJP leader Safdarjung Road. It is also believed to have been in charge of money matters. The less educated whispered “fixer.”

The controversy dogged him even when Pramod Mahajan was alive. Mittal name entered into a joint venture agreement in 2002. It was learned that a relative property of three shell companies that were given one crore shares of Reliance Infocomm at Re 1 each. Amid outcry three companies returned the shares as Mahajan did extensive damage control. Sudhanshu Mittal returned to the shadows.

The plot was terribly wrong when ascending Mahajan’s political career, and indeed their lives were abruptly interrupted when his younger brother shot him in April 2006. Mahajan battled for life for days before succumbing in May 2006.

Mittal remained loyal to the family of Mahajan and went back into the spotlight when Pramod Mahajan’s son Rahul and another close aide Bibek Moitra are in a state of drug overdose. Moitra died. Mittal has been mentioned in the Delhi Police chargesheet against Rahul Mahajan. Mittal became Rahul, who was brought back from the brink of death by doctors at Apollo hospital in New Delhi.

However, Mittal’s political mentor was gone. I needed new political foot, which is in aid of another BJP leader, Rajnath Singh and quickly rose in importance again. There was great controversy in March last year, however, when Rajnath Singh Mittal named party co-ordinator for North East Affairs. Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitly, who is known to be anti-Mittal, pouting publicly.

Sudhanshu Mittal link to Commonwealth Games contract – the link that led to raids on Tuesday – is through his nephew Vinay Mittal, whose Deepali Design and Test won one of the most lucrative deals, worth more than Rs. Rs 200 million in a consortium with a foreign partner.

Overlay bids worth about Rs. Rs 650 million were awarded to four contractors, including the signing of Mittal.

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