The Election Commission has filed an FIR against BJP General Secretary Vinod Tawde and party candidate Rajan Naik amid allegations of cash distribution to voters in Palghar district. On the eve of the Maharashtra assembly elections, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) leader Hitendra Thakur accused Tawde of distributing Rs 5 crore to BJP workers in Virar. Thakur claimed that Tawde was involved in a meeting where the money was being allocated to BJP workers. The authorities have confirmed that formal procedures are being followed in the case. Madhukar Pandey, Police Commissioner of Mira-Bhayandar, Vasai-Virar (MBVV), confirmed to ABP News that an FIR has been filed at Tulinj Police Station. Over Rs 9 lakh in cash and several documents were seized from the location.
The BJP, however, dismissed the accusations as a baseless publicity stunt by the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), which they claim is making these allegations in response to an impending defeat. BJP spokesperson Pradip Bhandari defended Tawde, calling the allegations “false” and “conspiratorial.” He explained that Tawde had merely attended a meeting with MLAs to discuss the Model Code of Conduct, and that BVA workers mistook the meeting for a money distribution event.
In the wake of the allegations, BVA workers staged protests in Virar, surrounding Tawde and demanding his arrest. Thakur also alleged that the hotel where Tawde was staying had deactivated its CCTV cameras, only activating them after BVA workers requested it. He claimed that Tawde was using the hotel to distribute money in an attempt to influence voters. The elections for the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly will take place on November 20, with vote counting scheduled for November 23.