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Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. (File image: X)
Sharad Pawar-led SP has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) over alleged distribution of money, while Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar refuted the allegations against his party
The Pune police on Tuesday registered a non-cognizable offense against five people after the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) claimed that some people belonging to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP had committed suicide bombings in the district’s Bhor town ahead of the Baramati Lok Sabha polls. Cash was distributed to voters, an official said.
Sharad Pawar-led SP has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) over alleged distribution of money, while Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has refuted the allegations against the party.
NCP (SP) candidate Supriya Sule and Ajit Pawar-led NCP candidate Sunetra Pawar are locked in a tussle in the Baramati Lok Sabha seat where polls are going to be held on Tuesday.
Sule is Ajit Pawar’s cousin. NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar claimed that the cash was distributed by the ruling NCP in Bor and claimed that a cooperative bank in Bor remained open till late Monday night.
Speaking to Press Trust of India (PTI), Pune Police Commissioner Pankaj Deshmukh said: “Five people have been accused of being involved in cash distribution in Bor on Monday and Tuesday evening and a case has been registered against them. Committed an uncognizable criminal act.
“Some locals in Bohol claimed that several people came in with two or three vehicles and participated in handing out cash,” he said.
“The car was stopped and people were rescued from the vehicle. A minor scuffle broke out around midnight. Meanwhile, a team of police officers arrived at the scene and during a search of the vehicle, they found 1,500 rupees in cash and a stolen party item.
A case has been registered under Section 171 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the SP said, adding that investigation was on.
The NCP (SP), on behalf of the NCP candidate led by Ajit Pawar, submitted a complaint to the EC regarding the distribution of money to voters in Bhor taluka of Baramati assembly constituency.
“The blatant conduct of such corrupt, criminal and illegal conduct by the NCP candidates led by Ajit Pawar is an unprecedented travesty of elections and rules,” the complaint said.
Acting on the complaint, the poll team’s flying squad seized cash, clock-symbol campaign materials, list of villages and voters’ list for Bor parliamentary constituency, the party said.
“People’s power will defeat the power of money,” the statement read. Refuting SP leader Rohit Pawar’s allegations about money distribution, Ajit Pawar said it was the job of the electoral commission to investigate such matters.
“I have personally participated in seven elections but have never indulged in this practice. From the beginning of the campaign, certain sections of the opposition have been leveling such accusations against me, but I have ignored them,” he said.
“The person who makes such accusations is off balance. I don’t think I should take this person seriously,” he said.
Meanwhile, Supriya Sule said, “I have contested Lok Sabha elections three times (from Baramati) but never saw mobs roaming around, banks open till midnight, money being used and Distribution, intimidation and personnel ” were caught. “
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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a Yonhap news agency feed – PTI)
