What’s the cash-for-vote row involving BJP’s Vinod Tawde, a day before Maharashtra Assembly polls?

BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde is on the centre of a political storm in Maharashtra, only a day prior to the state votes. The regional outfit Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) has accused him of distributing money to influence voters in Palghar. Here’s what's going on on

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BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde has been accused of cash-for-vote. File Photo/PTI

A high-voltage political drama has gripped Maharashtra, a day prior to the western state goes to polls. Bharatiya Janata Birthday party (BJP) national general secretary Vinod Tawde has been accused by the regional outfit Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) of distributing money to influence voters in Palghar.

The saffron birthday celebration has rejected the claims, calling them politically motivated. The opposition has grabbed the chance to lambast the BJP. Maharashtra Assembly elections are slated for Wednesday (November 20), with the results on November 23.

Let’s take a wiser look.

Allegations against BJP’s Vinod Tawde

On Tuesday (November 19), chaotic scenes emerged from a hotel in Virar East where Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) workers gheraoed BJP’s Tawde over cash-for-vote allegations.

A video has surfaced on social media showing BVA workers storming Hotel Vivanta and hurling cash on the BJP general secretary’s face.

The incident came about for the duration of a meeting between Tawde and BJP’s Nalasopara Assembly candidate, Rajan Naik. BVA workers disrupted the meeting, alleging the distribution of cash to attendees.

Hitendra Thakur, the BVA MLA from Vasai-Virar, claimed Tawde was caught red-handed with Rs 5 crore in cash. The sitting Nalasopara MLA and Hitendra’s son, Kshitij Thakur, alleged two diaries containing small print of the alleged cash distribution of Rs 15 crore were found in Tawde’s possession, as per reports.

BVA workers also alleged that the principle gate of the hotel was closed while Tawde’s meeting was underway, reported Times of India (TOI).

The ruckus intensified when Kshitij reportedly snatched the diary and questioned the BJP general secretary’s presence in Virar even after the election campaigning officially ended Monday evening.

“I was once told by BJP workers that Vinod Tawde was coming with Rs 5 crore. I came with my supporters… The police and Election Commission should act. The CCTV network of the hotel was also shut and started a decent deal after I arrived. I feel that the hotel management is additionally involved and action be taken against them,” Hitendra Thakur alleged, as per Hindustan Times (HT).

While he's contesting the polls from Vasai, his son, Kshitij has been given a ticket from Nalasopara.

After the clash lasted over three hours, Hitendra and Kshitij Thakur, Vinod Tawde and BJP’s Naik determined to conduct a joint press conference on the hotel. Alternatively, it was stopped by the Election Commission (EC) officials who said it was illegal to hold one at some stage within the ‘silence period’.

“Rs 9.Ninety three lakh have been recovered from the hotel rooms (of Tawde),” an EC official was quoted as saying by Indian Express.

Three FIRs have been lodged within the case, including against Tawde and Naik.

“The BJP and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi workers were present on different floors. Some amount of cash and a pair of diaries have been recovered from here. Two FIRs have been registered, and a 0.33 FIR is additionally being lodged for holding a press conference illegally,” Pournima Chougule, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-II, Vasai, told ANI.

Also Read: Maharashtra elections: What’s open, what’s closed the following day as state heads to polls?

BJP reacts

The BJP has rubbished the cash-for-vote allegations against Tawde, who says he was on the Virar hotel to talk about election procedure.

“I had stopped on my thanks to talk about about polling process and code of conduct with our candidate,” he said.

“I had a short meeting with the candidate and was about to leave when BVA workers came. They thought I was once distributing money. EC personnel came, [and] they checked my vehicle, [but] they failed to to locate the remainder. Let there be [an] investigation into the allegations they're making,” Tawde was quoted as saying by HT.

नालासोपारा में कल मतदान के संदर्भ में आचार संहिता के सही ढंग से पालन के ऊपर एक बैठक का आयोजन किया गया था, जहां बहुजन विकास अघाड़ी के कार्यकर्ताओं ने आकर हंगामा शुरू कर दिया।

महायुति को मिल रहे अपार समर्थन से हताश विपक्ष बेबुनियाद आरोप लगाकर इसे मुद्दा बनाने की कोशिश कर रहा है।… %twitter.com/vtV5VHGVu6

— Vinod Tawde (@TawdeVinod) November 19, 2024

Senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said, “Vinod Tawde is a national general secretary. Is he going to distribute money at ward levels? Such claims are absurd.”

Dismissing the allegations, BJP leader Pravin Darekar stated, “I feel that this charge Tawde is distributing money is laughable. BVA feels that they've lost elections and hence creating a story.”

Opposition hits out at BJP

The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has slammed the BJP over the controversy.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut wrote on X, “The job which has to be done by Election Commission was done by Thakurs.”

The Congress often is referred to as on the EC to take strict action within the case.

BJP के राष्ट्रीय महासचिव विनोद तावड़े महाराष्ट्र के एक होटल में पैसे बांटते हुए पकड़े गए हैं।

विनोद तावड़े बैग में भरकर पैसे लेकर गए थे और वहां पर लोगों को बुला-बुलाकर पैसे बांट रहे थे।

ये खबर जब जनता को पता चली तो भारी हंगामा हो गया। पैसों के साथ विनोद तावड़े के कई वीडियो… %twitter.com/iqbMcGJtyQ

— Congress (@INCIndia) November 19, 2024

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray took a “note jihad” swipe on the BJP. “Is that this BJP’s note jihad (for votes)? ‘Baatenge aur jitenge’ (will distribute cash to win). Entire Maharashtra has seen it (a video showing bundles of cash). Maharashtra will make a decision the following day,” the former chief minister told reporters.

VIDEO | "Vinod Tawde should get a PhD, he's being hailed (sarcastically) for dismantling governments in few states, and forming BJP governments in few states, what's the 000 reason? That is BJP's 'note jihad', or not it's some distance like distributing money and winning. Now we should see what… %twitter.com/rgPunfPITE— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 19, 2024

Thackeray was concerning to the BJP’s controversial slogan of ‘Batenge toh Katenge’ (divided we fall) and “vote Jihad” claims.

With inputs from agencies