After Shiv Sena MLA Nilesh Rane alleged voter bribery attempts by ally BJP, the Maharashtra chief of the national party said on Thursday he was keen to save alliance with the regional outfit till December 2 when voting will take place for civic councils and nagar panchayats.
Amid growing tension between the two saffron allies, constituents of the ruling Mahayuti, state BJP president Ravindra Chavan said he will respond to Sena MLA Nilesh Rane's allegations of cash distribution to voters later and insisted on saving the alliance till the first phase of local body polls.
Chavan, who is touring the state for the upcoming civic polls, addressed several rallies but avoided responding directly to Nilesh Rane's accusations. The Sena MLA alleged on Wednesday that Chavan visited Sindhudurg district, home turf of Nilesh Rane, a few days ago and facilitated the distribution of cash to influence voters ahead of the December 2 elections.
The Kankavali Municipal Council and Malvan Nagar Panchayat, both in Sindhudurg district, are among the urban local bodies going to polls in the first phase. Nilesh Rane (Sena) and his brother and minister Nitesh (BJP) are on the opposite camps in the council polls.
On Wednesday evening, Nilesh Rane claimed to have conducted a "sting operation" by entering the residence of a local BJP worker in Kankavali town, accusing him of stockpiling cash-filled bags for voter inducement. The Sena legislator, whose brother and father are in the BJP, shared videos of the alleged incident on social media and approached the local police station on Thursday, seeking the registration of an FIR.
When asked about the allegations, Chavan remarked, "I want to save the alliance till December 2. I will respond to the allegations later." In a late-night statement on Wednesday, the state BJP president claimed the Opposition camp was feeling unsettled.
"The sand under their feet is slipping, which is why they are getting nervous. The Opposition (Nilesh Rane) has filed a case against our candidate, alleging issues with her caste certificate," Chavan said.
The matter has become more tangled, given the political history between the two families. A few years ago, Nilesh Rane announced his retirement from politics, prompting then Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to send Chavan, his trusted aide and PWD minister, to pacify him.
While Nilesh won as a Shiv Sena MLA last year, his younger brother Nitesh, a BJP MLA, was inducted into the state cabinet after the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP alliance secured a strong mandate in the November 2024 assembly elections.
Asked about Chavan's remarks on the alliance, Shiv Sena's Lok Sabha MP Shrikant Shinde, son of Deputy Chief Minister and party head Eknath Shinde, said, "I do not know what exactly he said. You better ask him whether he wishes to continue the alliance or not." Chavan, also an MLA, represents Thane district's Dombivli assembly constituency, which falls within the Kalyan Lok Sabha seat from where Shrikant Shinde has been elected since 2014.
Meanwhile, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Thursday said he supported strict legal action if wrongdoing was detected in the cash recovered from the BJP worker's residence, but questioned Nilesh Rane's decision to enter his house and carry out a 'sting operation'.
State minister and BJP leader Nitesh Rane also rejected his elder brother's allegations, arguing that many political workers had legitimate business income and keeping cash at home should not be construed otherwise.
Nilesh Rane had claimed bags of cash meant for voter distribution were found at the home of BJP worker Vijay Kenawadekar in Kankavali.
Kenawadekar told reporters on Thursday, "I am being targeted, my image is being maligned only because I am close to Ravindra Chavan. I have explained the source of the money to the police and will cooperate fully." The allegations, denied by the BJP, have added to the simmering tension between the saffron allies. The Sena MLA's father Narayan Rane and his brother Nitesh are with the BJP.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Bawankule, a senior BJP leader, said, "One also needs to ask whether it is appropriate to directly enter someone's residence, go to that person's bedroom and then claim it is part of a sting operation." Bawankule said he did not understand why Nilesh Rane acted in such a manner and stressed that going into someone's bedroom was "a bit inappropriate".
"The priority is to determine whether the money was connected to business activity, property transactions or something else," Bawankule stated, adding the Election Commission and police would conduct necessary inquiries.
"If wrongdoing is found, there will be appropriate legal action," he warned.
Nitesh Rane, defending BJP worker Kenawadekar, said many political workers operated businesses such as crushers and hotels.
"No one should defame the BJP because cash was found at a worker's residence. I do not see any issue with our worker having cash at home," he said.
On Wednesday, BJP minister Ashish Shelar also dismissed Nilesh Rane's allegations as false.
Following the incident, election officials and police visited the residence of Kenawadekar, who maintained the money was meant for business purposes and unrelated to elections.
Elections to 246 municipal councils and 42 nagar panchayats are scheduled for December 2.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
