Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today (Oct 13, 2004) termed allegation against his wife Ujjwala distributing money to voters in his Assembly constituency as a "conspiracy by his opponents". After exercising his ballot in Solapur, Shinde told over telephone that "the rival candidate along with his supporters had planted the money in his wife's vehicle while she was away meeting the Sarpanch of a village panchayat".

Shinde wondered how so many television crew converged at the spot at an unearthly hour.

The Chief Minister said a complaint has been lodged with Mandrup police station against Independent candidate Uday Patil and his supporters in this connection.

Shinde claimed that some supporters of Patil have been arrested in this regard.

Meanwhile, Solapur District Collector Manisha Verma said that the driver of Ujjwala Shinde's vehicle has lodged a police complaint of "some persons threatening him and planting money in the vehicle" and investigations are on.

She said the Opposition camp has not lodged any formal complaint so far. Patil, however, was not available for comment.