India, Sept. 29 -- On November 19, a day before Maharashtra's assembly elections last year, two seemingly routine incidents signalled a possible shift in power equations in the Vasai-Virar region.

Hitendra Thakur and his son Kshitij, MLAs from Vasai and Nallasopara representing the Bahujan Vikas Aghadi (BVA), claimed to have caught BJP national general-secretary Vinod Tawde in a cash-for-votes trap. Producing envelopes with currency notes allegedly found in a bag Tawde was carrying, the Thakurs hoped to gain an advantage in the high-stakes contest. But the BJP struck back, scoring a victory by poaching BVA's Dahanu candidate, Suresh Padvi, narrowing the competition for the BJP candidate.

Political observers saw more than theatrics in th...