Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Vinod Tawde on Tuesday rejected the allegations that he distributed Rs 5 crore to influence voters in Maharashtra's Palghar district and called for an impartial investigation by the Election Commission.
“Today, as I was passing by that area (Vasai-Virar), our candidate Rajan Naik asked me to join them to have tea. 200-250 booth incharges were present there. Later, Hitendra Thakur and his son came there and said that money was being distributed. Their party workers also came and caused a ruckus. It is not wrong to go and meet party workers who work day and night for the party. I have been in politics for the last 40 years and I have never been involved in a case relating to money. Why are Supriya Sule and Rahul Gandhi saying all this? After all this, Hitendra Thakur and Kshitij Thakur dropped me in their car," he said while addressing media.
Read Also | Maharashtra Elections 2024: Clash Erupts in Virar as BJP Leader Vinod Tawde Accused of Distributing Cash-for-Votes by BVA's Hitendra Thakur
"A meeting of MLAs of Nalasopara was underway. The Model Code of Conduct for the day of voting, how will voting machines be sealed and how to go about if an objection has to be made...I went there to tell them about it. The workers of the party (Bahujan Vikas Aghadi), Appa Thakur and Kshitij thought that we were distributing money. Let the Election Commission and Police inquire, let them get CCTV footage. I have been in the party for 40 years. Appa Thakur and Kshitij know me, the entire party knows me...Still, I believe that Election Commission should conduct an impartial investigation," Tawde said earlier in the day.
Tawde’s remarks came after the Election Commission filed an FIR against him and BJP candidate Rajan Naik over accusations of attempting to influence voters through cash. The charges were levelled by the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), who claimed to have footage of the alleged distribution.
BVA workers protested outside the hotel, alleging they found a diary detailing cash distribution records. Videos circulating on social media show heated confrontations between BVA supporters and BJP workers.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi posted a video of the confrontation, sarcastically asking, “Modiji, from whose safe did this ₹5 crore come?” NCP MP Supriya Sule called the incident “a dangerous precedent for democracy,” while Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray demanded immediate action.
Voting for Maharashtra’s 288 assembly constituencies will take place on Wednesday and results to be declared on November 23. The controversy has added fuel to an already charged political atmosphere as major parties vie for power in the state.