Tue Nov 19 18:58:47 UTC 2024: ## BJP Leader Faces Vote-Buying Accusations in Maharashtra Election’s Eve Drama

**Mumbai, November 19, 2024** – Just hours before Maharashtra’s Assembly elections, a major controversy erupted involving senior BJP leader Vinod Tawde. The Election Commission of India (ECI) filed three FIRs against Tawde following allegations of vote-buying in Palghar district, leveled by the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA).

The BVA, a regional party contesting independently, alleges that Tawde was distributing ₹5 crore in cash to influence voters. A video circulated online appears to show BVA workers confronting Tawde at a Nalasopara hotel, seizing bundles of cash from a bag. Tawde, however, denies the accusations, claiming the meeting was a briefing on election procedures, specifically the sealing of voting machines.

The FIRs against Tawde are based on multiple sections of the Representation of the People Act, including violations related to holding a press conference during the mandated 48-hour silence period before polling. The ECI has stated that campaigners are not permitted to engage in any campaigning outside their designated constituencies during this period.

Tawde, who is the BJP’s general secretary in Maharashtra, maintains his innocence and has called for an investigation, urging authorities to review CCTV footage from the hotel. The incident is likely to significantly impact the final hours of campaigning in the state.

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