Mumbai: A day ahead of Assembly elections, a cash-for-vote controversy erupted in Maharashtra after the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) alleged that BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde went to a hotel in Palghar district to distribute Rs 5 crore to influence voters on Tuesday.
Later in the day, Rs 9.93 lakh in cash and some documents were recovered from the hotel. Multiple FIRs have been filed, reported ANI.
District collector and election officer Govind Bodke said the election department had received complaints from BVA activists that some BJP workers were distributing cash at a hotel in Virar.
Acting on the complaints of BVA, the returning officer of Nalla Sopara, a police team headed by the joint police commissioner and two deputy police commissioners, searched the hotel and found Rs 9.93 lakh in cash besides some diaries, informed district collector Govind Bodke.
Cases have been registered for the alleged offences, including possession of cash, violation of model code of conduct and holding illegal press conferences.
Kshitij Thakur, BVA candidate from Nalla Sopara, claimed his supporters found Tawde with the cash at a hotel near Virar, 60 km from Mumbai. He said he was informed about the cash by a BJP leader.
“I was informed by a BJP leader that he (Tawde) has come to distribute this huge cash. I could not believe that such a key national functionary of that party would do so, but sadly it turned out to be true,” Thakur said.
“In the hotel today, cash, diaries and laptops (related to the alleged cash distribution) were recovered. The diaries mentioned names and the amount given to them,” Thakur added.
Tawde and BJP have rejected the allegation.
“In Maharashtra, a baseless allegation has been made as a last attempt by the MVA… Vinod Tawde is our national secretary and is looking after several functions of the party… The candidate of the (Nalla Sopara) constituency asked him to attend the meeting. He was passing nearby, so he agreed… Such meetings are done to instruct the party workers regarding the polling process… We insist that the CCTV of the hotel and the nearby areas be checked… Rs 5 crore cannot be brought in a pocket. It would be visible if someone were carrying it… They should show proof and not make baseless allegations,” said BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi.