Caught in Maharashtra ‘cash row’, who is Vinod Tawde?

A erstwhile pupil person of the ABVP, who was groomed successful authorities by 2 of the BJP’s astir almighty Maharashtra leaders, the present deceased Gopinath Munde and Pramod Mahajan, Tawde has had an unsteady innings successful caller years successful the party. However, having delivered a bid of electoral gains for the BJP, helium was lately seen arsenic being connected the emergence again.

In fact, BJP watchers had been taken by astonishment astatine the magnitude of clip the nationalist wide caput spent successful Maharashtra successful the run-up to the elections, starring to immoderate speech of a post-poll relation for him successful the state. As a Maratha leader, belonging to Mumbai, helium would person been much acceptable to activists warring for preservation for the assemblage and aggravated with the BJP.

The video of the ruckus betwixt the BJP and the BVA workers person surfaced connected the internet. (X/ @SandipDaveOne4)

Tawde denied the allegations of currency distribution, led by Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA) person Hitendra Thakur – the strongman of the Virar portion wherever Tuesday’s occurrence happened – arsenic a conspiracy to malign the BJP’s image. And claimed that helium was astatine the Virar edifice for last-minute enactment with enactment workers and to wage homage to a section deity up of polling connected Wednesday.

In a connection issued Tuesday evening, Tawde claimed that aft the BVA workers gheraoed him, helium himself called up Hitendra Thakur, “who reached the hotel. and we near together”. “So wherever is the question of wealth distribution? I impulse the Election Commission to behaviour a probe and find retired the truth,” helium said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) Sanjay Raut said the occurrence seemed “an interior substance of the BJP arsenic they privation to clip the wings of Tawde”. “The (Maharashtra) Home Department is keeping a adjacent ticker connected Tawde, who has risen successful ranks astatine the centre successful the BJP.” The Home portfolio successful the authorities is nether BJP person and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

NCP (SP) MP Supriya Sule said what had happened showed the existent colours of the BJP. “You onslaught our leaders nighttime and day. Now you are misusing funds to bargain votes. Where are the escaped and just elections?”

A pupil person who went connected to go the youngest Mumbai BJP president successful his mid-30s, Tawde had a decade-long stint successful the authorities unit, holding important positions.

He served 3 presumption arsenic an MLC, earlier contesting his archetypal Assembly polls from Borivali and winning. In the BJP authorities led by Fadnavis that followed, Tawde held respective portfolios specified arsenic School Education, Higher and Technical Education, Medical Education, Minorities Welfare etc. However, gradually helium was divested of Medical Education and School Education, leaving him with portfolios seen arsenic little lucrative.

Given his popularity successful Borivali arsenic an MLA, Tawde was expected to beryllium re-fielded successful 2019, but astatine the eleventh hour, helium was denied a ticket. With nary mentation offered by the party, it was believed that helium paid a terms for his differences with Fadnavis.

In 2020, Tawda was moved retired of Maharashtra arsenic nationalist secretary, successful what was seen arsenic a bid to accommodate him aft the sidelining. In November 2021, helium was further elevated to the almighty organisational presumption of nationalist wide secretary.

BJP sources accidental that the elevation was an acknowledgment of Tawde’s show successful his caller role. One of his archetypal accomplishments was getting some the Mayor and Deputy Mayor posts for the BJP successful the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation polls held successful December 2021, beating the Aam Aadmi Party successful a neck-and-neck contest.

In 2022, Tawde was named coordinator for each the 5 states headed for elections that twelvemonth — Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Manipur and Uttarakhand. Barring Punjab, the BJP won all. In this year’s Lok Sabha elections, Tawde was entrusted with the task of overseeing the strategy for 160 constituencies identified arsenic the astir hard by the party. Currently, Tawde is in-charge of Bihar, which is owed for Assembly polls adjacent year.

Tawde besides holds the work of coordination connected the BJP broadside erstwhile it comes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s favored Maan Ki Baat vigor show, including giving inputs connected matters that tin beryllium addressed successful the broadcast.

Sources accidental the BJP enactment remains appreciative of the information that Tawde accepted the refusal of summons to him successful 2019 with grace, not attacking anyone and moving into his caller role. In fact, aft helium was made wide secretary, Tawde had said, “The displacement from Maharashtra to Delhi came arsenic a blessing successful disguise… It is simply a accidental to usage my potential… In Maharashtra, 1 is confined to authorities politics, whereas Delhi has opened the doors to nationalist politics. It is simply a precise immense canvas.”

Now, arsenic among the apical 3 leaders successful BJP president J P Nadda’s team, who works successful adjacent coordination with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Tawde is seen arsenic the astir almighty Maharashtra person successful Delhi.

Since helium was fixed an organisational relation extracurricular Maharashtra, Tawde has been cautious not to measurement connected Fadnavis’s shoes and has kept distant from authorities politics. Which is wherefore the abrupt frequence of his visits to Maharashtra up of the Assembly polls drew overmuch notice.

However, others constituent retired that Tawde has ne'er been a wide person and ever been a backroom strategist and organisation man.

The 61-year-old often talks astir however his ABVP sting was a large learning experience. “It was tract enactment wherever you had to instrumentality to the streets, clasp agitations and item your issues,” helium says.

Tawde whitethorn request each those skills now.