A day before Maharashtra's crucial Assembly elections, BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde found himself embroiled in controversy after being accused by the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) of distributing cash for votes in Palghar district.
The allegations surfaced following a dramatic incident at the Vivanta Hotel in Nalasopara, where BVA workers confronted Tawde during a meeting with BJP candidate Rajan Naik.
The BVA, led by Vasai MLA Hitendra Thakur, has significant influence in the region, with three MLAs representing the Vasai, Nalasopara, and Boisar constituencies. The party, which is contesting the elections independently, alleged that Tawde was carrying Rs 5 crore in cash to sway voters.
A video showing workers pulling bundles of cash from a bag and capturing images of Tawde sitting nearby has gone viral. Tawde, however, has denied any wrongdoing, claiming the bag does not belong to him.
Hitendra Thakur has further alleged that two diaries were recovered from Tawde along with the cash. The contents of the diaries remain undisclosed, but Thakur claimed Tawde sought his assistance to leave the hotel, a charge the BJP leader has not addressed publicly.
The police have sealed the hotel and are monitoring the situation as protests by BVA workers continue, demanding Tawde's immediate arrest. Meanwhile, Tawde remains confined to the hotel’s fourth floor, alongside Hitendra and Kshitij Thakur.
The Congress party has criticized the BJP over the incident, accusing its leaders of attempting to manipulate the elections with money. The party has called on the Election Commission to take strict action against such practices.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also mocked the BJP, questioning whether this was an example of “vote jihad” or “dharma yudh,” phrases often used by BJP leaders during the election campaign.
This controversy comes at a time when the issue of inspecting political leaders' luggage has gained traction in Maharashtra. It began when Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray shared a video of poll officials checking his luggage, questioning whether similar scrutiny was applied to high-ranking leaders like Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Since then, videos have surfaced showing officials inspecting the luggage of various political leaders, including Shah, Shinde, Pawar, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. These inspections have sparked widespread debate about transparency and accountability during the election process.
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