A day before the Maharashtra Assembly elections, a controversy erupted when former IPS officer Ravindranath Patil from Pune accused Baramati MP Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole of conspiring to encash Bitcoins to influence the election. Patil claimed to have a voice note in which Sule and Patole were allegedly discussing the matter. However, both Sule and Patole strongly rejected the accusations.
Supriya Sule dismissed the allegations as baseless, expressing disbelief that her party would engage in such activities. She labeled the claims as an attempt to tarnish her reputation and politicize the elections. While voting was underway for the Maharashtra Assembly elections, BJP leaders held a press conference to amplify the accusations, seeking to implicate Sule and Patole. In response, Sule vehemently denied the charges, and NCP president Sharad Pawar also weighed in on the issue.
Sharad Pawar’s ResponsePawar dismissed the accusations as being from a discredited source, noting that the person making the allegations had spent several months in jail. He said, “Why take note of what that person said? In my opinion, there is no need to pay attention to these baseless claims.”
Pawar also appealed to the people of Maharashtra to vote in the elections, highlighting the importance of civic participation. “The Lok Sabha elections had 67% voter turnout in Maharashtra, but in smaller states of the North East, the turnout was over 70-75%. The decrease in voting percentage is not fitting for a state like Maharashtra. Everyone should exercise their right to vote—vote for the person or political party you believe is right.”
Concerns Over Election-Related ViolenceSharad Pawar also addressed concerns about election-related violence, expressing shock over the recent attack on former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in Nagpur. “Usually, voting in Maharashtra is peaceful, but the attack on Anil Deshmukh was disturbing. Unfortunately, such incidents occurred more widely this time. I hope that there will be no such incidents in the future.”