In a major revelation, Thackeray group leader Vinayak Pandey has accused Neelam Gorhe of demanding money for election tickets. While responding to journalists, Pandey claimed that many leaders would soon come forward with similar allegations against her.
"This woman does not let workers move forward without financial transactions. This is the truth," Pandey stated. He clarified that during his tenure as city chief, district chief, deputy mayor, and mayor of Shiv Sena, Uddhav Thackeray never demanded money for any position. "Uddhav Saheb always supported me because of my work. He never took a single rupee from me," he said.
Pandey was responding to allegations made by Neelam Gorhe, who claimed that in Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, a position could be secured by gifting two Mercedes cars. Countering her claims, Pandey accused Gorhe of taking money from him for an assembly election. "Many workers like me will come forward and expose what she has done," he asserted.
He further criticized Gorhe for raising political issues at the Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Delhi instead of focusing on literature. "She had a platform to discuss Marathi literature, but she failed to do so. I feel sorry for her," he remarked.
When asked about the leaders who allegedly paid money to Gorhe, Pandey responded, "I do not know who she gave this money to. They returned the money, so it remained with her." He also claimed that some leaders deliberately kept this issue from reaching Uddhav Thackeray.
Pandey also mentioned that he was in competition for a ticket along with Ajay Boraste. "Neelam Gorhe promised me a 100 percent ticket, but in the end, Boraste got it," he said. He accused Gorhe of using political influence to control ticket distribution.
These allegations have sparked controversy within the party, raising questions about internal dealings and the role of money in ticket distribution.