In what came as a major embarrassment for the ruling MahaYuti on the eve of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national general secretary Vinod Tawde found himself in a fierce controversy over the alleged distribution of cash to some people, following the claims by Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) that it had caught him red-handed in the act.

The controversy erupted after BVA founder and six-time Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Vasai, Hitendra Thakur and his son Kshitij Thakur, a three-time MLA from Nalasopara, alleged that their party colleagues and workers had seen Tawde distributing money to people. They alleged that Tawde had arrived with Rs 5 Crore for giving it to BJP candidate Rajan Naik for distribution to people in  Vasai-Virar area of Palghar district.

Cashing in on the allegations, leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of the Congress singled out Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an attack “Modiji, from whose safe did these Rs 5 Crore come? Who looted the public’s money and sent you in the tempo?,” Rahul asked. 

Congress general secretary in-charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala demanded the arrest of Tawde. A BJP general secretary, Tawade has been caught red-handed while distributing money in Vasai-Virar. The allegation against him is that Tawde distributed Rs 5 Crore among people on the eve of elections. That being the case, Tawde should be arrested immediately,” Chennithala said. 

The controversy broke out when BJP’s Tawde had gone to the deluxe Le Vivanta Hotel at Virar (East). The BVA leaders alleged that he was carrying Rs 5  Crore cash, along with some ‘diaries’. The drama that unfolded in the morning lasted for more than eight hours.

At one stage, Tawde was ‘gheraoed’ and pushed around by BVA workers. However, the situation came under control after Kshitij Thakur rushed there to control the crowds. At that time, BJP workers also gathered outside, along with the Nallasopara BJP candidate Rajan Naik.

Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray said that “while BJP was making allegations of ‘vote-jihad’, what was actually happening is ‘note-jihad’”.

On their part, the BJP leadership and Tawde denied the allegations. “I was conducting a meeting of party workers in Nalasopara (constituency)  to discuss the model code of conduct on the day of polls  like how EVMs are to be sealed, how to take objection… they misunderstood,” Tawde said

Offering to face the allegations against him, Tawde said, “The Election Commission must carry out a free and fair probe…I have been in politics for 40 years…Appa and Kshitij know me very well.”

Defending Tawde, state BJP President Chandrashekhar Bawankule said: “Tawde is the national general secretary and will persons in that position distribute money in this way? It should be considered. As the election has gone out of hand, the opposition is defaming the BJP and Tawde… the political opponents made a film, the opponents did media management. Tawde has fallen prey to conspiracy.”

Earlier, Hitendra Thakur, while talking to media persons said, “Some BJP leaders informed me that party general secretary Tawde had come to Virar to disburse Rs 5 crore to influence voters…we have seen huge amounts of cash, diary entries, laptop”. Sr Thakur, however, did not name the BJP leader who had tipped off Tawde’s movement from Wada to Virar with the cash.

“I thought a national leader like him would not stoop to such a trivial task. But I saw him here… you all saw what happened, how it happened and who all were there,” Thakur said, as he demanded stern action against Tawde.

It remains to be seen as to what impact that the controversy involving Tawde would have on Wednesday’s polls in Virar-Vasai area and elsewhere in Maharashtra.