The police have registered a non-cognisable offence against some BJP workers for alleged distribution of cash in Kolhapur, where voting for the bypoll to Kolhapur North assembly seat is underway on Tuesday, an official said.
However, local BJP functionary Sunil Kadam alleged that they caught some supporters of Kolhapur guardian minister and Congress leader Satej Patil while distributing cash in Shahupuri area on Monday evening.
When contacted, Patil refuted the allegations of Congress workers being involved in such a malpractice and said whatever cases of distribution of cash among voters have come to light are registered against BJP workers.
Two BJP workers were allegedly found distributing cash among voters on Sunday in Sutarwada area of Kolhapur, Laxmipuri police station inspector Santosh Jadhav said.
“We have recovered Rs 39,530 in cash from these two party workers and a non-cognisable offence has been registered,” he said.
In another incident, three people were found with cash worth Rs 45,000 in Shahupuri area in an office of a former BJP corporator, an official from Shahupuri police station said.
“There is an area under our jurisdiction where a former BJP corporator has an office. We received information from the flying squad on Monday that the work of preparing a list of people living in slum areas to distribute cash was on,” he said.
A non-cognisable offence has been registered against them, the official said.
The bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting Congress MLA Chandrakant Jadhav due to Covid-19 in December 2021.
There are 15 candidates in the fray for the Kolhapur North assembly seat by-election, and the main fight is likely to be between Congress, one of the constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in the state, and the opposition BJP.
Jayashree Jadhav, the wife of the late MLA, is the Congress candidate, while the BJP has fielded Satyajit Kadam.
According to the district administration, over 2.90 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise for which 357 polling stations have been set up.
Voting began at 7 am and over 20 per cent turnout was recorded till 11 am, a district election official said.
