BJP paid Eknath Shinde ₹500 Cr to pacify Marathas ahead of 2024 polls?

New Delhi: A purported audio clip released by Maratha reservation activist Manoj Jarange Patil has triggered a political row in Maharashtra, alleging that the BJP used a ₹500-crore deal involving Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to blunt the Maratha reservation agitation ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections.

According to The New Indian Express, the clip, released on Thursday, October 22, features a woman claiming that the BJP routed ₹500 crore through Shinde to appease Jarange Patil and the Maratha community. The allegation further suggests that the money was intended to silence the activist and undermine his agitation, with Shinde’s son, Lok Sabha MP Dr Shrikant Shinde, allegedly involved in the purported arrangement.

Jarange Patil, however, denied receiving any money or agreeing to abandon his campaign for Maratha reservation. He alleged that attempts were being made to weaken the movement and urged Maharashtra’s leadership to take the claims seriously and ensure a thorough investigation.

Shinde, who heads the Shiv Sena and is a key BJP ally in Maharashtra, firmly rejected the allegations. He denied giving or receiving ₹500 crore in connection with the matter and expressed readiness to face any investigation.

The allegations have brought renewed attention to the politically sensitive Maratha reservation issue, which figured prominently in Maharashtra’s political landscape ahead of the 2024 Assembly elections. The claims contained in the purported audio clip have not been independently established.