On poll eve, Vinod Tawde caught in row over ‘cash-for-votes’

A huge political controversy rocked Maharashtra on Tuesday on the eve of high-stakes assembly elections after a regional outfit alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Vinod Tawde was distributing cash to voters, prompting the police to file three first information reports (FIRs) against the senior leader and the party to launch a strong defence against attacks from the Opposition.
Tawde, a Maratha leader seen as a potential candidate for the chief minister’s post, was meeting the BJP candidate from Nalasopara, Rajan Naik, at a hotel when local strongman and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) leader Hitendra Thakur barged in with a group of about 300 supporters. Thakur’s son Kshitij, a three-time lawmaker, is contesting against Naik from Nalasopara.
The BVA members, who video-recorded the protest, alleged that Tawde was at the hotel in Virar, roughly 60km from Mumbai, to give ₹5 crore to woo voters. The Election Commission’s flying squad was called in and recovered ₹9.93 lakh from three rooms booked in Naik’s name. In addition, the BVA members also recovered a diary from the BJP leaders’ possession and alleged it held details of the money to be distributed.
Tawde denied all wrongdoing, asked the police to check CCTV footage, and demanded that the EC conduct an impartial probe. “I was on my way back from Wada in Palghar when I stopped at the hotel to meet our local candidate to ask them to take certain precautions on voting day… The entire incident is recorded on CCTV, there is no question of distributing any money, there must be an impartial inquiry,” he told the media. He also said his car was checked by the EC squad and no money was recovered from it.
Read more: BJP says cash distribution allegation against Tawde shows Oppn’s frustration
Police in Tulinj filed three FIRs against Tawde over violation of the Model Code of Conduct “by distributing cash and liquor”, for violation of Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, and for holding a press conference with Thakur. Section 126 stipulates that no person shall convene, hold, attend, join or address any public meeting or procession in connection with an election 48 hours before the polling ends.
Thakur, whose BVA has fielded eight candidates, claimed he was informed by BJP workers that Tawde was “coming with ₹5 crore”. “We found a diary with certain noting and now the police and the Election Commission must act,” he said at press briefing which he held in concert with Tawde.
When asked about the joint press briefing and his departure with Tawde, seemingly on friendly terms, Thakur said he did so at the police’s behest. “The police told me to escort Tawde out of the hotel, or else the mob could have lynched him. I dropped him to a safe place only on humanitarian grounds.”
The administration confirmed the FIRs and the police raids.
“We have registered a first information report against Tawde and 34 others for the ₹9.93 lakh cash which was seized from the hotel rooms. A second FIR has been registered against Vinod Tawde for being present in the Nalasopara constituency 48 hours before polls where he is not a voter. The law says that one can’t be in a constituency if he is not a voter. We have also registered another FIR against him and Hitendra Thakur for holding a press conference which is against the model code of conduct,” said Palghar collector Govind Bodke.
Thakur alleged that the police had recovered ₹19 lakh but “showed a recovery” of only ₹9.93 lakh.
The incident came hours before assembly elections in Maharashtra, where the BJP leads the Mahayuti – with the Shiv Sena and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) – and is hoping to retain power in a high-stakes contest. The MVA, which comprises the Congress, the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the NCP (Sharadchandraji Pawar), is aiming to replicate its performance in the Lok Sabha elections, when it won 30 of the state’s 48 seats.
The incident was widely covered on television with viral videos showing BVA supporters barging into the Virar hotel room and flinging bundles of cash at Tawde’s face, before police escorted him out. The Maha Vikas Aghadi used the allegations to attack the Mahayuti.
“Modiji, whose safe has this ₹5 crore come from? Who looted the money from people and sent it to you in a tempo?” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on X.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray termed the incident as “note jihad” in an apparent jibe at Devendra Fadnavis who has been alleging that Muslims were indulging in “vote jihad” by voting against the BJP.
“Today I went to visit the Tulajabhavani temple but still my bag was checked,” said Thackeray. “Yesterday the Election Commission found crores of rupees at Nashik and today Vinod Tawade was caught distributing money. This is ‘Note Jihad’ by the Mahayuti and the EC must take action against them.”
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP and party spokesperson Sanjay Raut went a step further to allege a deeper conspiracy behind Tuesday’s events. “A top leader of the BJP has conspired to leak information about Tawde (his movements). The home department kept an eye on Tawde who belongs to the Maratha community. A top BJP leader has conspired against him to end any possible challenge from him in state politics,” he posted on X.
The BJP rejected the allegations and accused the Opposition of anticipating defeat in the upcoming polls. Party lawmaker and spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also said that the accusation was a manifestation of the MVA’s “frustration”.
“The Opposition had alleged that ₹5 crore was found…how can such an amount be carried around without being visible. They should show proof and not make baseless allegations,” he said. The lawmaker also said the onus to prove the violation lies with the opposition.
“In Maharashtra, the baseless allegation made against the BJP is a last-ditch attempt by the MVA… Vinod Tawde is our national secretary and is looking after several aspects of the election… The candidate of the (Nalasopara) constituency asked him to attend an internal meeting. Since he was passing by, he stopped over at the hotel, which is along the highway. Such meetings are done to instruct the party workers regarding the polling process,” Trivedi said.
Virar-Vasai strongman Hitendra Thakur holds political sway from Vasai to Palghar and has three MLAs from the region.
Hitendra, 63, is the younger brother of Jayendra or Bhai Thakur who was in prison for over a decade in connection with extortion, murder and attempted murder. Bhai Thakur has been accused of running a criminal syndicate in association with Dawood Ibrahim.
The BVA supported Eknath Shinde in June 2022 but talks with the Mahayuti broke down after the ruling alliance fielded candidates opposite the Thakurs.