• Source:JND
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Maharashtra Elections: BJP has denied 'cash-for-vote' charges against its national secretary Vinod Tawde levelled by opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) after EC officials and police recovered around Rs 9 Lakh cash from a party meeting in Virar on Tuesday.

While Tawde termed it a spontaneous meeting with the party's Nalla Sopara candidate and workers, BVA leaders alleged that he was handing over Rs 5 Crore to them for distribution among the voters to buy the votes.

"A meeting of MLAs of Nalasopara was underway. I went there to tell them about the Model Code of Conduct for the day of voting, how will voting machines be sealed and how to go about if an objection has to be made. The workers of the party (Bahujan Vikas Aghadi), Appa Thakur and Kshitij thought that we were distributing money. Let the Election Commission and Police inquire, let them get CCTV footage. I have been in the party for 40 years. Appa Thakur and Kshitij know me, and the entire party knows me. Still, I believe that the Election Commission should conduct an impartial investigation," Tawde said.

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Meanwhile, another "cash-for-vote" row erupted in Maharashtra on Tuesday when Uddhav Sena leader Ambadas Danve claimed that CM Shinde's Shiv Sena workers were offering cash to people for their voter IDs in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Levelling serious allegations against police, Danve, who is the leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra legislative council, said that it was not acting aggressively on the complaints about Shiv Sena workers and was helping the Mahayuti's candidate contesting from the Aurangabad West constituency, news agency PTI reported.

Aurangabad West seat is witnessing a high-octane contest, with Shiv Sena's Sanjay Shirsat and Uddhav camp's Raju Shinde locked in a direct fight.

"People from the Shiv Sena and BJP in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar are taking away voter IDs of poor people by paying them Rs 1,000- Rs 2,000 and inking their fingers," Danve alleged.

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Shiv Sena (UBT) workers have informed the police about the issue, but the authorities have not acted effectively, Danve said, adding that the police were helping the Shiv Sena candidate for the seat.

"I had earlier complained to the Election Commission, and I was told to file a reply just 30 minutes before the given deadline," Danve claimed.

Meanwhile, police said they arrested two people on Monday night in a cash-for-voter-ID case in which a man received Rs 1,000 for his voter ID and Aadhaar card.

Another accusation of cash distribution by the ruling Mahayuti to buy voters surfaced in the Virar East constituency. Workers of Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), the third front in the state, alleged that BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde brought Rs 5 crore in cash to hand over to Nalla Sopara candidate Rajan Naik.

Reports of an altercation between BVA candidate, workers and BJP leaders also surfaced in Virar East.

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