The alleged cash-for-vote issue could jeopardise the political career of Congress MLA from Amravati and president Pratibha Patil’s son, Raosaheb Shekhawat, and minister of state for finance Rajendra Mulak, a confidante of chief minister Prithviraj Chavan.
The BJP, on Wednesday,
filed an intervention petition before the judicial magistrate, alleging that the Rs1 crore seized from a vehicle belonging to a Congress leader ahead of the February 16 Amravati civic polls was ‘black money’.
In an intervention petition by Amravati district BJP president Pradip Shingore, filed through his lawyer VL Naolani, he has alleged that many Congress politicians, including a Maharashtra minister were involved in the ‘cash-gate’ and there was a need for an in-depth investigation.
The petitioner has also alleged that the ruling Congress was trying to hush up the case and was pressurising the investigation agency. Hence, Shingore appealed for a threadbare probe into the case by an independent high-level agency. The Amravati police seized Rs1 crore on Sunday. The money, it is believed, was sent with the help of a Nagpur-based businessman -- which the MPCC later claimed to be party fund -- meant to be distributed among ‘poor’ Congress candidates in the fray for electioneering.
The State Election Commission served notices on Shekhawat and Mulak.Both Mulak and Shekhawat on Wednesday sought time till February 21 for reply.