As Maharashtra holds its elections today, BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde has been booked following the discovery of cash at a prominent hotel in Virar, near Mumbai. This comes after allegations from Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi (BVA) president Hitendra Thakur, who is seeking re-election from the Vasai-Virar seat, that Tawde was caught red-handed distributing money to voters. Tawde has denied these claims, calling for a fair inquiry by the Election Commission.
Tawde, who is named in three FIRs, rejected the charges and demanded a thorough investigation. Opposition parties, including the BVA, have strongly criticized the BJP.
On Tuesday, Tawde was booked after election officials and police seized nearly Rs 10 lakh in cash from hotel rooms, along with campaign materials and bottles of liquor. The cash was allegedly meant for voter bribery, a violation of the model code of conduct.
BVA workers, who had accused the BJP of distributing cash, filmed the alleged incident, leading to widespread circulation of the video. Police, acting on the complaint, conducted a search at the Vivanta Hotel in Virar, where they found the money and other items. The BJP’s candidate from Nalasopara, Rajan Naik, was also named in the FIR.
Palghar District Collector Govind Bodke confirmed that cash worth Rs 9.93 lakh, along with liquor and other campaign materials, was recovered after a search based on BVA workers’ complaint. Three FIRs were filed: one for distributing money and liquor, another for violating election rules during the 48-hour silence period before voting, and a third for conducting a press conference that breached election laws.
The BVA has accused Tawde and other BJP members of planning to distribute the cash in Nalasopara, where BVA’s Kshitij Thakur is contesting. Police are examining hotel CCTV footage to corroborate the allegations.
Tawde, for his part, insists he was at the hotel to meet with BJP workers to discuss polling-day logistics. He stated that he was unaware of any wrongdoing and urged the Election Commission to conduct a fair investigation. Despite his defense, the BJP faces mounting pressure from the opposition, who accuse it of attempting to shift attention from what they view as impending defeat in the polls.
BJP leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and state president Chandrashekhar Bawankule, have defended Tawde, calling the allegations unfounded and part of an opposition conspiracy. Fadnavis dismissed the claims as a distraction, while Bawankule dismissed them as baseless.
BVA’s Thakur, however, called for immediate action from the Election Commission, claiming he had been informed that Tawde intended to distribute up to Rs 5 crore. The opposition also criticized the hotel for allegedly turning off its CCTV cameras, with some leaders demanding action against both the BJP and the hotel.
Opposition leaders, including Shiv Sena’s Uddhav Thackeray and Congress’s Ramesh Chennithala, have condemned the incident, calling for an arrest and immediate investigation into the cash distribution. Thackeray even referred to the incident as “note jihad,” further fueling the political debate.
