MUMBAI: In a dramatic incident at Virar (east), BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde was allegedly discovered with cash at a hotel on Wednesday morning, more than 17 hours after the Maharashtra Assembly election campaigning concluded. Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) party supporters stormed the hotel and flung cash at Tawde’s face. Police arrived at the scene and escorted Tawde away.
The Nalasopara constituency, currently represented by BVA MLA Kshitij Thakur, sees a contest between BJP’s Rajan Naik and Congress’s Sandeep Pandey. Despite BVA’s previous support to Mahayuti with its three MLAs in 2019, BVA President Hitendra Thakur questioned the presence of an ‘outsider’ politician in Virar after campaign closure.
According to BVA members, they received information about Tawde conducting a meeting at Vivant Hotel in Manvelpada, where Naik and local BJP leaders were present.
The workers alleged they witnessed Tawde distributing money to attendees. Thakur claimed Tawde possessed Rs 5 crore and two diaries containing names. The BVA alleged that the main gate of the hotel was closed while Tawde was having his meeting inside.
BVA has raised concerns regarding webcasting at all 507 polling booths in the Nalasopara constituency. The area includes one of two critical polling booths in Palghar district. In the Vasai constituency, Thakur faces BJP candidate Sneha Dube. In Vasai, 93% of the booths have been webcasted.
Thakur claimed that Tawde telephoned to apologise for his presence in Virar. He urged police and election officials to address the alleged violation of the election code.