Shinde Sena MLA Nilesh Rane alleges BJP stuffed bags with cash to sway voters in Malvan; state BJP chief calls charges baseless, promises reply after December 2 election
Screengrab of the viral video showing MLA Nilesh Rane pointing to the bag of cash. Pic/By Special Arrangement
Cash-for-votes allegations have erupted in the Konkan just days before the December 2 local body polls — and this time, they are coming not from the Opposition but from within the ruling alliance. The Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena has accused its own partner, the BJP, of using money to influence voters in Sindhudurg district.
On Thursday, MLA Nilesh Rane alleged that cash recovered from the home of a BJP worker in Malvan was intended to buy votes. “The BJP must explain the source of this money. To what extent will one go to win polls? With so much money being pumped in by the ruling party, how can a common man even think of entering politics? There is a limit to everything,” Nilesh said.
Nilesh is the brother of Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Nitesh Rane, and both are sons of senior BJP leader and MP Narayan Rane. In Malvan, the BJP and its Mahayuti partners, the Shinde Sena and Ajit Pawar’s NCP, are locked in a direct fight, but the contest is widely seen as a turf battle between the Rane brothers. Narayan Rane downplayed the tension, saying his only focus was the BJP’s victory. “The BJP should and will win,” he said.
The latest flashpoint began two days ago, when Nitesh Rane claimed he had tracked a suspicious individual to the home of a BJP worker, where he allegedly found a bag containing around R20 to 25 lakh. “If proper searches are conducted, more such bags will be recovered,” Nilesh alleged, adding that these developments followed Maharashtra BJP chief Ravindra Chavan’s visit to Malvan.
Opposition parties have welcomed Nilesh’s action and the embarrassment caused to the BJP. Responding to the allegations, Chavan said, “All allegations are false. After December 2, once voting is over, I will respond to all charges.” Voting for municipal councils and Nagar Panchayats across Maharashtra will be held on December 2.
Rs 20-25 lakh
Approximate amount of cash in bags
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