The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accused Trinamool Congress MLA Shantiram Mahato of “distributing cash” during his campaign for the West Bengal assembly elections. Posting a video purportedly showing Trinamool’s Balarampur candidate distributing money, BJP’s incharge of Information and Technology department Amit Malviya said that the Election Commission ‘must take note’.

“Shantiram Mahato, sitting MLA and TMC’s candidate from Balarampur, also a minister in the outgoing government, on the eve of first phase of polling can be seen distributing cash.

Will the EC please take note and act?”, Malviya tweeted while sharing the video.

The authenticity of the embedded video could not be independently verified by Opoyi.

In the video, Mahato is purportedly seen campaigning for the upcoming election, he then stops to meet a resident. With the camera zooming in closer to the crowd, Mahato is purportedly seen handing out cash.

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The West Bengal assembly election will be held in eight phases between March 27 and April 29. The first phase will see elections being conducted in the districts of Bankura, Purulia, Jhargram, East Midnapore, and West Midnapore.