Maharashtra polls: Two detained for allegedly distributing BJP candidate slips in Dhobi Talao

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Two people were detained in the Dhobi Talao area of south Mumbai for allegedly distributing slips featuring the name, photo, and booth details of BJP candidate Rahul Narvekar ahead of the polling day for Maharashtra Assembly election 2024, Mumbai Police said on Tuesday.

The distribution of these slips, which include polling center information and the candidate's image, has raised concerns about a possible violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during the ongoing election period.

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According to Mumbai Police sources, the duo were found distributing the pamphlets in a public area following which the Azad Maidan Police Station rushed to the spot.

The police confirmed that no money or financial inducements were found in the possession of the detained suspects.

The incident comes hours after the authorities in Palghar district of Maharashtra on Tuesday said that a police team comprising senior officials recovered around Rs 9.93 lakh and some incriminating documents from the hotel where some BJP activists were allegedly distributing money.

The Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) chief Hitendra Thakur alleged cash-for-votes allegations against the BJP.

Thakur alleged that BJP general secretary Vinod Tawde was distributing money to voters in Palghar on the eve of the Maharashtra polls, however the BJP has denied the allegations.

Hitendra Thakur had claimed Vinod Tawde had come to Virar to disburse Rs 5 crore to influence voters, and he was at a hotel, as per the PTI.

A video on social media showed BVA workers confronting Vinod Tawde outside the hotel.

District collector and election officer Govind Bodke said the election department received complaints from BVA activists that some BJP workers were distributing cash at a hotel in Virar.

Following this, the returning officer of Nalasopara and a police team, along with the joint police commissioner and two deputy police commissioners, searched the hotel and recovered Rs 9.93 lakh cash and some incriminating documents, the official said.

The collector, in a recorded message, confirmed that cases were registered for offences, including possession of cash, violation of the model code of conduct, and holding illegal press conferences, according to the PTI.

(with PTI inputs)