Vinod Tawde, a prominent leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and former Maharashtra minister, has once again found himself at the centre of a controversy, with fresh allegations of distributing money to voters surfacing just ahead of the assembly elections.
Known for his rise from grassroots BJP cadre to senior ministerial positions, Tawde’s career has been marred by multiple controversies, which are now threatening to affect the party’s image. He, however, has strong survival skills.
Tawde served as the Minister for School and Education in the erstwhile Devendra Fadnavis-led government in 2014. Early in his tenure, he was embroiled in a row over his engineering degree from Dnyaneshwar Vidyapeeth, a university that was not recognised by the state government.
Opposition leaders had accused Tawde of submitting a fraudulent degree, leading to heated debates in the state Assembly.
The Congress had demanded his resignation, but Tawde defended his qualification, stating that the course he completed, which included both theoretical study and practical internship, was not government-approved but was pursued with full knowledge of its status.
Read more: 'Let them get CCTV footage': What BJP's Vinod Tawde said on cash-for-vote allegation
"The university started a bridge course for this purpose. I enrolled in the course in 1980 and graduated in 1984. It included part-time study and part-time internship," he had said.
{{/usCountry}}"The university started a bridge course for this purpose. I enrolled in the course in 1980 and graduated in 1984. It included part-time study and part-time internship," he had said.
{{/usCountry}}Tawde acknowledged that the programmes lack a government approval, stating, "Students were informed during admission that the course didn't have recognition. I was aware of this and accepted it".
He also mentioned the legal challenges faced by the university.
"After Manohar Joshi became the chancellor of this university, his rivals approached the court which imposed a ban on the programme," Tawde had claimed.
Despite these early controversies, Tawde remained a key BJP figure. However, his reputation suffered further setbacks, notably due to a publication contract awarded to a Marathi publishing house in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
These issues, combined with his exclusion from the 2019 Maharashtra assembly elections, saw him sidelined within the BJP. Tawde had expressed his disappointment, stating that he would reflect on the party's decision not to field him from Borivali, which ultimately went to Sunil Rane.
"If I had made any mistakes, I will correct them. If the party made any mistakes, they will address those too. But this is not the time to dwell on it. Elections are approaching, and I am focused on that," he said.
Tawde was among senior BJP leaders sidelined in 2019. However, he made a comeback to national politics, being appointed BJP’s national general secretary, a position that bolstered his influence within the party.
In December 2023, when asked about his return to state politics, Tawde cryptically responded, "No Maharashtra, only Rashtra (Nation)."
The latest controversy surrounding Tawde, however, has stirred fresh concerns. Allegations have emerged that he attempted to distribute money to voters, with video clips circulating on social media.
In one of the clips, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi leader Hitendra Thakur claimed that a BJP leader had informed him of Tawde’s alleged plans to distribute cash to voters. The viral videos and these accusations have raised doubts about Tawde’s immediate political future and could impact his standing within the party.
Tawde has denied allegations of distributing money on the eve of polling.