Maharashtra BJP's Vinod Tawde With Rs 5 Cr Cash Day Before Voting? What We Know

Videos show Tawde being contronted by workers of Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) and Nallasopara MLA Kshitij Thakur.

Day Before Voting, Senior BJP Leader Vinod Tawde Caught Distributing Rs 5 Cr Cash

(Photos accessed by The Quint)

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and national general secretary Vinod Tawde on Tuesday, 19 November was allegedly caught distributing Rs five crore cash at Vivanta Hotel in Thane's Virar.

The voting for the Assembly elections in Maharashtra is slated to take place on Wednesday.

Videos from the spot show Tawde being contronted by a mob of party workers of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) and Nallasopara MLA Kshitij Thakur.

According to sources, Tawde had arrived at the hotel earlier on Tuesday with the cash to meet party workers, the information of which was received by BVA workers who stormed the hotel and confronted him. Kshitij Thakur also arrived a while after, following which a ruckus ensued between BJP and BVA workers.

Kshitij also alleged that two diaries were recovered from Tawde in which the details of payments have been listed. In the video, Kshitij can also be seen flashing the diary at the camera.

'Pressure on Me...' What Has BVA Chief Hitendra Thakur Said

Speaking to Marathi news channel ABP Majha, BVA chief Hitendra Thakur claimed that the party received a tip from some BJP workers themselves.

"Vinod Tawde had come there with five crore rupees. Two diaries have also been found there. They contain information about where and how money was distributed. Vinod Tawde is the National General Secretary. They have no sense that political leaders must not be present in constituencies 48 hours before voting. It is such a simple rule", Thakur said.

"I never expected a leader as tall as the Tawde to resort to such pettiness," Thakur claimed.

The BVA and Kshitij Thakur have won the Nallasopara Assembly thrice consecutively since 2009.

"The Collector has told me that I am not even allowed to hold a press conference. There is a lot of pressure on me," Hitendra Thakur claimed, as quoted by ANI.

Thakur also arrived at the hotel later.

'It Was a Meeting for Voting Day': What Has Tawde Said

Speaking to news agency ANI, Tawde said that the agenda of the meeting was misunderstood by Thakur.

"A meeting of MLAs of Nalasopara was underway. How will voting machines be sealed and how to go about if an objection has to be made...I went there to explain to them about it. The workers of the party (Bahujan Vikas Aghadi), Appa (Hitendra) 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 investigatio," Tawde said.

'Registration of FIR In Progress': What The Election Commission Said

Kiran Kulkarni, Additional Chief Election Officer Maharashtra told ANI that registration of FIR is underway.

"The police had reached the spot at Nalasopara after receiving the information. The flying squad of the election machinery, formed to comply with the Code of Conduct, also reached the spot. The Flying Squad took the review of the premises and also made some seizures," Kulkarni said.

"The process of registering an FIR under relevant acts is in progress. Everything is under control. Anyone who is in breach of Model Code of Conduct will be proceeded against as per law and rules," Kulkarni told ANI.

'BJP's True Colours': Political Storm Erupts 

The parties of the Opposition's Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) on Tuesday strongly condemned the reports.

"The corruption of the government has been exposed. The Election Commission should take strict action against Vinod Tawde for violating the Modal Code of Conduct. The BJP has been humiliating the Constitution and democracy time and again. Enough is enough," said Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed that he has a list of at least 18 named that have received money and the party's team is on the ground too.

"If the Election Commissiona and the police would have kept a strict vigil on the Mahayuti parties in the election season, at least Rs 1,000 crore would have been saved from Maharashtra's lockers," Raut claimed.

"48 hours is the silent period. And at that time, for Mr Vinod Tawde to be in Virar in a hotel with cash loads of money... It is pretty clear that they think that they will be able to win an election on the basis if distributing money," said SHiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi.

"We have been maintaining since day 1 that the Election Commission should have ensured that this is a free and fairelection. Loads of money coming from Gujarat and Delhi went unchecked. However, Uddhav Thackeray ji's bag was checked four times so far," Chaturvedi alleged.