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Biography
Sureshkumar Bhikamchand Jain, (known as Suresh Jain), is an Indian politician from Jalgaon, Maharashtra. He changed his party affiliation a number of times in his political career and has been elected to the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha for a record nine times.He is a convicted criminal in the Jalgaon housing scam.
He was a minister in Maharashtra government and was a main conspirator in Jalgaon Gharkul Ghotala (transl. Jalgaon housing scam). The court granted him 7 year imprisonment when found guilty. Due to the scam Jalgaon Municipal Corporation lost 150 crore rupees. It is considered as one of the massive corruption scams in Maharashtra.
Political career
Jain was elected from Jalgaon constituency in 1980 as an Indian National Congress (Indira) candidate, in 1985 as an Indian Congress (Socialist) candidate, in 1990 as an Indian Congress (Socialist) – Sarat Chandra Sinha candidate, in 1995 as an Indian National Congress candidate, in 1999 as a Shiv Sena candidate, in 2004, as a Nationalist Congress Party candidate and in 2009, he was elected from Jalgaon City constituency as a Shiv Sena candidate.
1980 to 2014 elected nine times consecutively as MLA to the State of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. During this period, he has been elected / selected to different political positions as below.
In the 1990s Jain was in the Shiv Sena party and served as a state minister. He was a prominent leader for Shivsena in North Maharashtra.
Jalgaon housing scam
In 1996, Jain was the main accused in the Jalgaon housing scam and was sentenced to jail. Jalgaon police arrested him in March 2012 on the basis of inquiry report submitted by then Jalgaon municipal commissioner Pravin Gedam. The Jalgaon district court found him guilty, convicted him in this crime and sentenced to a fine of ₹110 crore with seven years of imprisonment.
Positions held
- 1980: Elected to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
- 1985: Elected to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
- 1990: Elected to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
- 1995: Elected to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
- 1995: Cabinet Minister, Maharashtra State Government
- 1999: Elected to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
- 2004: Elected to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
- 2009: Elected to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly
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