"This money is being used for vote jihad," alleges BJP leader Kirit Somaiya ahead of Maharashtra elections

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Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya has accused funds from a benami account of being used to promote vote jihad and allegedly push Bangladeshi Rohingyas into Mumbai.

Somaiya claimed that investigations revealed Rs 250 crore was transferred from 253 bank accounts linked to companies in North India into the benami account of one Siraj Mohammad. According to Somaiya, the companies involved were fictitious and were established and closed rapidly. The funds were allegedly transferred through hawala transactions to Surat, Ahmedabad, and Mumbai, with the money being routed to 125 different locations across Maharashtra. "This money is being used for vote jihad," Somaiya alleged.

His claims come amidst a larger investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which launched extensive searches across several cities in connection with a suspected cash-for-votes scheme. ED teams have conducted searches at 13 locations in Ahmedabad, three in Surat, two in Malegaon, Nashik, and five in Mumbai. The investigation is ongoing, with authorities looking into links between illicit funds and election manipulation.

Somaiya also criticised Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray following his recent comments targeting Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis. "This is the difference between father and son. When Pakistan's Dawood Ibrahim attacked Mumbai in 1992-93, Balasaheb Thackeray stood to protect Hindus. Now, Mumbai is being attacked again by Rohingya Muslims," said Somaiya.

He also referenced a report by the Tata Institute, which projected that by 2050, only 54 percent of Mumbai's population would be Hindu, arguing that Uddhav Thackeray and his son were focusing on dividing "Hindu rakshaks" (Hindu protectors).

The Maharashtra assembly elections are scheduled to be held on November 20, with the results for all 288 constituencies to be counted on November 23. The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, comprising the Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), aims to reclaim power in the state. The ruling Mahayuti alliance, which includes the Shiv Sena led by Eknath Shinde, the BJP, and the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, is seeking to retain control.

As per ANI, the allegations and the ongoing investigations are bound to escalate the political drama in the run-up to the elections.

(With inputs from ANI)