BJP leader accused of distributing cash ahead of Maharashtra polls
In a dramatic turn of events, the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) has accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) General Secretary Vinod Tawde and BJP candidate Rajan Naik of distributing ₹5 crore to influence voters in Maharashtra. The allegations came just hours before the state goes to polls. Viral videos show BVA supporters waving currency notes and claiming they found cash-filled envelopes and diaries at a hotel in Virar, Palghar district.
BVA confronts Tawde, Congress calls for action
BVA MLA Kshitij Thakur led a group of supporters to the hotel to confront Tawde. The Congress party has released a video of this confrontation, accusing the BJP of using "money power" to influence the election. The party has demanded strict action from the Election Commission against these alleged malpractices.
NCP leader questions cash source, FIR filed against Tawde
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Supriya Sule was surprised at Tawde's alleged involvement in the cash distribution scandal. She asked where did he get such a huge amount of cash post-demonetization. The Election Commission has now filed an FIR against Tawde over these allegations. Kiran Kulkarni, Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra, confirmed they received a complaint and promised necessary action.
BJP dismisses allegations as 'baseless,' calls for investigation
The BJP has rubbished these allegations as "baseless," calling them a political stunt by the BVA a day before elections. The party has demanded an investigation by the Election Commission and a review of the hotel's CCTV footage. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi slammed what she saw as unequal scrutiny on BJP leaders as opposed to Uddhav Thackeray, asking when action would be taken against Tawde.
Incident intensifies political tensions ahead of elections
The incident has deepened the political divide in Maharashtra ahead of Wednesday's elections. In the last elections, the NDA alliance had won 161 of 288 seats but had split over leadership issues. This election has factions of Shiv Sena and NCP on opposite sides after recent upheavals. The Congress slammed BJP leaders for allegedly buying elections with money, while AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi asked if this was "vote jihad or dharma yudh," phrases used by BJP leaders during their campaign.
