EC Files Case Against Maharashtra BJP Leader Over Cash Distribution

High drama unfolded just a day before the Maharashtra Assembly polls as workers of a regional party surrounded BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde, accusing him of distributing cash to sway voters in Palghar. Although Tawde denied the allegations, the Election Commission has registered an FIR against the senior BJP leader in connection with the cash-for-vote accusations.

A viral video shows Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) workers storming into the Vivanta Hotel in Palghar, where Tawde was meeting Rajan Naik, the BJP candidate from Nalasopara. The BVA workers claimed to have caught Tawde red-handed with Rs 5 crore in cash.

In the video, BVA workers are seen pulling bundles of cash from a bag, while Tawde asserts that the money does not belong to him.

The BVA, led by Vasai MLA Hitendra Thakur, has a strong foothold in Palghar district, holding three seats in the Assembly. Thakur is contesting from Vasai, while his son, Kshitij, is standing for election from Nalasopara.

Thakur also alleged that they found two diaries in the bag, though no details about their contents were provided. The BVA leader later told a local Marathi channel that Tawde had apologized and asked for assistance to leave the hotel.

The police have sealed the hotel as BVA workers continue to protest, demanding Tawde's immediate arrest.

Congress condemned the BJP, accusing its leaders of "using money to influence elections" and called on the Election Commission to take strict action.

Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, used the incident to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "ek hain toh safe hain" (if we are one, we are safe) slogan. "Modi ji, from whose SAFE did these Rs 5 crore come? Who looted the public's money and sent you in the tempo?" Gandhi tweeted.

The "tempo" reference was a nod to PM Modi's past claim that Congress received "cash loaded in tempos" from "Adani and Ambani."

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also weighed in, asking if this was "vote jihad or dharma yudh"-terms frequently used by BJP leaders in Maharashtra during the election campaign.