Levelling fresh poaching charges against the BJP, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday alleged that the saffron party was trying to ‘buy’ its 10 newly-elected Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) councillors by luring them with an offer of Rs 10 crore for each.
Addressing mediapersons here in the presence of the councillors to whom the BJP allegedly approached, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said, “BJP has started threatening and luring AAP councillors in Delhi; these are elected councillors of AAP, it is impossible to buy them.”
Pointing out at the BJP’s initial claim to put up its own mayor in the MCD despite falling short of a majority by 30 seats, he said, “I demand the Police Commissioner of Delhi to arrest those who are involved in trading councillors through money and threats. Does the Election Commissioner have no responsibility in this matter?”
He further said, “BJP has infamously become Bhartiya Khokha Party across the country because of its misdeeds. Despite getting 30 seats less than AAP in the MCD elections and losing 80 seats as compared to previous elections, the BJP has resorted to its dirty tactics.”
The AAP leader recounted how the BJP used the tactics of trading MLAs in Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa. He said, “Now, they have adopted the same formula in Delhi. They are offering gratification to MCD councillors and even threatening them. I have been saying this from day one that the BJP is such a shameless party that despite having 30 seats less than majority that Mayor will be from their party.”
The senior AAP leader said, “A person named Yogesh called Ward No. 88 Councillor Dr Runakshi Sharma and said that the BJP State President Adesh Gupta wants to talk to her. Adesh Gupta and BJP leaders mentioned about a budget of Rs 100 crore to trade councillors. This budget is only for 10 councillors which means that ‘Bhartiya Khokha Party’ has allotted Rs 10 crore for every councillor.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the Delhi BJP president had refuted the poaching allegations made by AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and said that his party believes in democracy and its strength.
Sisodia had alleged that the BJP is trying to poach newly-elected AAP councillors. Speaking to mediapersons, the BJP leader said, “Why is Sisodia worried? BJP believes in democracy and its own strength. Party will work for the people of Delhi and work towards the development of Delhi.”
The AAP stormed to power in the MCD, ending the 15-year rule of the BJP in the powerful civic body of the National Capital winning 134 of the 250 wards while the BJP, which had been ruling the civic body since 2007, bagged 104 seats. The Congress finished a poor third with nine seats while Independents bagged three wards.