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BJP was hit by a “cash for votes” controversy in Maharashtra on eve of the polling day. BVA accused Tawde of distrubuting cash.
Hitendra Thakur and Vinod Tawde (PTI Image)
BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde came under the Election Commission scanner as he found himself in the middle of a “cash-for-votes” controversy right ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly Elections.
A confrontation took place at Hotel Vivanta in Virar East where Tawde held a meeting with BJP’s Nalasopara candidate Rajan Naik. The meeting was interrupted by Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) workers who alleged that the BJP leader was distributing money, amounting to Rs 5 crore on election eve, and had a diary in his bag containing the details of the transactions worth Rs 15 crore.
Tawde refuted the allegations demanding a fair probe by the EC and the police.
Nalasopara MLA Kshitij Thakur, son of Vasai-Virar MLA Hitendra Thakur, was also present when the incident took place. The EC officials searched Tawde’s vehicles, however, no evidence was found. The police registered an FIR in connection with the matter.
Who Is Hitendra Thakur?
Hitendra Thakur is the president of BVA and head of the influential Thakur family. He is also the brother of a convicted gangster Bhai Thakur who reportedly has connections with Dawood Ibrahim. Hitendra Thakur is contesting from the Nalasopara constituency. His son Kshitij is seeking a re-election from the Vasai seat.
Hitendra Thakur is a six-time MLA from the Vasai Assembly from 1990 to 2009 and from 2014 to 2024. He is said to have considerable influence in the Virar, Vasai, and Nalasopara areas of the Palghar district. The family is also involved in business.
Thakur serves as the MLA for Vasai and leads the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA). Recognised as a dominant political figure in Palghar, he has built a formidable base of influence in the region. Thakur’s political journey began in 1988 with the Congress, where he initially served as the president of the Vasai Taluka Youth Congress.
In 1990, at 29, he was elected as the MLA for Vasai-Virar in Palghar district. Following his early success, he founded his own political party, originally named Vasai Vikas Mandal, which was later rebranded as Bahujan Vikas Aghadi.
In the 2019 Assembly Elections, three BVA candidates had won the polls, including Hitendra Thakur, his sons Kshitij Thakur and Rajesh Patil.
