EC sends notice to AAP leader Atishi over claim that BJP tried to poach her

The Election Commission (EC) has sent a notice to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi over her claim that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) tried to poach her after AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was sent to Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody in connection with the excise policy case. 

The EC’s show cause notice to Atishi over her claim comes after the Delhi BJP unit sent a defamation notice to the AAP leader. She has been asked to submit her response by 5 pm on Saturday. BJP had demanded a public apology over her claim that the saffron party approached her through a "very close" person to join it.

Atishi had claimed that four senior leaders from AAP are likely to be arrested soon after BJP approached them and asked them to join the ruling party or be nabbed by the ED within a month.

The four ministers, according to Atishi, are Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, MLA Durgesh Pathak and Rajya Sabha MP Raghav Chadha, as well as her.

BJP was miffed by the allegations and claimed that she was lying. It said they were fighting over apprehensions about who is expected to be the next “sacrificial lamb”. 

Atishi claimed that she was told that the ED would conduct raids at the residence as well as of her kin in the coming days. She claimed that summons would be sent after that and arrests would be made. The AAP leader stated that the BJP has realised that sending only Kejriwal to jail would not lead to the disintegration of the party.