BJP leader Vinod Tawde accused in cash-for-votes scandal ahead of Maharashtra Assembly polls
Mumbai: In a dramatic turn of events, BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde was allegedly caught with cash at a hotel in Virar (East) on Wednesday morning, just hours after campaigning for the Maharashtra Assembly elections concluded. The incident has sparked a political storm, with allegations of electoral malpractice being leveled against the BJP.
Supporters of the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) stormed the Vivant Hotel in Manvelpada, where Tawde was reportedly meeting BJP candidate Rajan Naik and local leaders. The BVA members alleged they found Tawde distributing cash during the gathering. In a heated confrontation, BVA supporters reportedly flung cash at Tawde and called the police, who later escorted him away from the scene.
BVA President Hitendra Thakur accused Tawde of possessing ₹5 crore in cash and diaries containing names, purportedly for vote-buying purposes. Thakur alleged that the hotel gates were locked during the meeting, raising suspicions of an illicit gathering.
The BVA has also demanded an inspection of all 30 rooms at the hotel after ₹9 lakh in cash was reportedly found in one of the rooms. They expressed concerns over irregularities in the polling process, specifically highlighting webcasting at 507 polling booths in the Nalasopara constituency.
The Nalasopara constituency, currently represented by BVA MLA Kshitij Thakur, is witnessing a triangular contest among BJP's Rajan Naik, Congress's Sandeep Pandey, and BVA's candidate. BVA has called for strict action against Tawde, with Thakur alleging that the BJP leader had called him to apologize for his presence in Virar after the campaign period ended.
Reacting to the allegations, Tawde denied any wrongdoing, stating, "There are CCTV cameras in the hotel room. I simply came to meet party workers. For 40 years, I have been in politics and never distributed money." Tawde emphasized that Election Commission officials had videographed the room and urged for transparency in the investigation.
The controversy has led to sharp criticism from opposition parties. Congress candidates Sandeep Pandey and Vijay Patil demanded immediate police action, while Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut accused the BJP of attempting to influence the elections through unethical means. "The BJP’s scheme has come to an end. Thakur has done what the Election Commission should have done," Raut wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
The Tuling Police in Nalasopara East have registered an FIR against Vinod Tawde under provisions of the Representation of the People’s Act. Election officials confirmed the seizure of ₹9 lakh in cash and other documents from the hotel.
BJP के राष्ट्रीय महासचिव विनोद तावड़े महाराष्ट्र के एक होटल में पैसे बांटते हुए पकड़े गए हैं।
— Congress (@INCIndia) November 19, 2024
विनोद तावड़े बैग में भरकर पैसे लेकर गए थे और वहां पर लोगों को बुला-बुलाकर पैसे बांट रहे थे।
ये खबर जब जनता को पता चली तो भारी हंगामा हो गया। पैसों के साथ विनोद तावड़े के कई वीडियो… pic.twitter.com/iqbMcGJtyQ
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Noida airport to begin ops next month with IndiGo flights to Lucknow, Bengaluru
Noida (PTI): IndiGo on Thursday announced that it will start commercial flight operations from the Noida International Airport in Jewar from June 15, becoming the launch carrier for the greenfield airport in western Uttar Pradesh.
The first day flights will be to and fro Lucknow and Bengaluru, the airline said in a statement.
Noida International Airport was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
IndiGo said it will be the first carrier to start commercial services from the airport, the third in the National Capital Region (NCR).
According to the airline, inaugural flights on June 15 will operate on the Lucknow-Noida-Bengaluru-Noida-Lucknow sector.
As per the announced schedule, flight 6E 2278 will depart from Lucknow at 7.05 am and arrive in Noida at 8.05 am before departing for Bengaluru at 8.35 am and landing there at 11.05 am.
The return flight, 6E 2279, will leave Bengaluru at 3.45 pm and reach Noida at 6.20 pm before departing for Lucknow at 6.55 pm and arriving there at 8 pm.
IndiGo said it will gradually introduce direct flights connecting Noida International Airport to more than 16 destinations across the country, including metro cities such as Bengaluru and Hyderabad, besides tier-2 and tier-3 cities like Amritsar, Chandigarh, Dharamsala, Jaipur, Lucknow, Navi Mumbai, Pantnagar and Srinagar.
The airline said bookings for the flights are being opened in phases through its website, mobile application and authorised travel partners.
Aloke Singh, Chief Strategy Officer of IndiGo, said the airline was pleased to announce the launch of operations from Noida International Airport.
"Strategically positioned on the Yamuna Expressway, Noida International Airport will be the new gateway for western Uttar Pradesh alongside the NCR. As we continue to expand our operations, we remain committed to delivering affordable, on-time and hassle-free travel experiences," Singh said.
IndiGo said the airport is expected to emerge as a major domestic aviation hub and will strengthen connectivity between Delhi-NCR and western Uttar Pradesh through integrated road and rail infrastructure.
