Who is Vinod Tawde embroiled in ‘cash-for-vote’ controversy a day before Maharashtra election

A day before Maharashtra goes to Assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) got embroiled in a controversy after a video of its state general secretary, Vinod Tawde, went viral on Tuesday. Tawde was accused of distributing cash before election in Maharashtra. He was allegedly seen with bundles of cash.

The video that surfaced on social media in which Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) workers can be seen confronting Tawde outside the hotel where he was staying.

Tawde, however, asserted that he was in Nalasopara to provide guidance regarding election procedures and challenged the opposition parties to verify his activities. The BJP also dismissed the claims against Tawde, terming them as a mere publicity stunt.

Maharashtra Election: Who is Vinod Tawde?

Vinod Tawde is BJP's national general secretary in Maharashtra. He became Maharashtra BJP general secretary in 1995, as per his LinkedIn account. He then held the Mumbai BJP president's post from 1999 to 2002.

Tawde became a member of the Maharashtra Legislative Council (MLC) in 2002 till 2014. Tawde was elected an MLA in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly in 2014 for five years. In 2021, Tawde was made the BJP's national secretary.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Tawde is "an Engineer by Qualification". He pursued a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from a college in Pune.

Maharashta Election: What's the cash-for-vote controversy?

Vinod Tawde was caught in a huge row after Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) chief Hitendra Thakur accused him of distributing money to voters in Palghar on Tuesday – the eve of the Maharashtra assembly polls. Thakur alleged the hotel Tawde was staying shut the CCTV recording.

"Some BJP leaders informed me that party general secretary Tawde had come to Virar to disburse ₹5 crore to influence voters. I thought a national leader like him would not stoop to such a trivial task. But I saw him here. I urge the Election Commission to take action against him and the BJP," BVA MLA Thakur was quoted by PTI as saying.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Purnima Chowgule Shringi of Zone II, Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar police commissioner, confirmed that two FIRs had been registered at the Tulinj police station in connection with incidents linked to the hotel where the alleged cash distribution took place.

Leaders of the opposition Maha Aghadi Vikas (MVA) demanded a comprehensive investigation by the Election Commission. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi were among the leaders who hit out at the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the incident.

"Modiji, from whose SAFE did these ₹5 crore come? Who looted the public's money and sent you in the tempo?" Gandhi posted on X. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray said, “Based on the evidence, action should be taken. Otherwise, Maharashtra will take action on its own...”

NCP-SCP MP Supriya Sule said, “It is shocking that a national leader of such a big party is distributing money. This is very dangerous for any democracy. If people want to get elected by distributing money then what should people like us do? Is there morality in this country or not? I publicly condemn this distribution of money. It should be investigated.”

BJP denies

The BJP dismissed Thakur's claims, terming them as a mere publicity stunt. Meanwhile, Tawde said he was in Nallasopara to provide guidance regarding election procedures and not to distribute money. He further challenged the Opposition members to verify his activities.

Tawde said, “A meeting of workers was being held in the Nalasopara Assembly constituency, where we were explaining the election day code of conduct, such as how to seal the voting machines, how the final seal should be applied, and the necessary steps in case of objections. I had gone there to explain these points.”

“However, the workers of Bahujan Vikas Aghadi believed we were distributing money. The Election Commission should conduct an inquiry, the police should investigate, and the CCTV footage should be examined. The Election Commission must carry out an impartial investigation,” Tawde said.

The Election Commission filed a case against BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde on Tuesday.