‘Rs 100 cr to buy 10 Delhi councillors’: AAP accuses BJP of poaching after MCD polls

The Aam Aadmi Party today accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of attempting to "buy" some of its recently elected council members in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The party claimed that the BJP had resorted to playing "dirty games."

In an interview with the media, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh claimed that the BJP is engaging in "dirty games, just like the horse-trading of MLAs in Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Goa, and G" despite having received 30 fewer seats in the recently concluded civic body elections in Delhi and losing 80 seats compared to the last elections.

Singh continued, pleading with the Delhi Police Commissioner to apprehend and imprison those who are "trying to murder democracy and insult the people's mandate" by using threats and money. They are using the same "formula" of buying elected officials in Delhi.

"BJP is such a shameless party, that it says the Mayor will be theirs, even after getting 30 fewer seats than us," Sanjay Singh said.

Singh claimed that Yogendra Chandolia called Sharma and said that Adesh Kumar Gupta, the state president of the BJP, would like to speak with her. He also stated that Gupta and BJP workers mentioned a budget of Rs. 100 crore for the purchase of MCD councillors.

"This Rs 100 crore was to buy just 10 councillors. The Bharatiya Khokha Party (AAP's jibe at BJP for alleged horse-trading) has a budget of Rs 10 crore for each councillor," he said.

According to Nawariya, those who backed him and were spotted with him were abused and targeted. "They went to their houses and hurled filthy abuses," he said, adding that they are threatening his supporters of dire consequences. "About me, they have clearly said they would kill me before I take the oath," he added.

Jyoti Rani's husband stated that a man approached him on the road and said he had an offer for us. "He told me they would give us Rs 50 lakh to cross-vote," he said, adding that when he turned down the offer, the man persisted, claiming that one could cross-vote without anyone knowing.

"These are AAP councillors, and they will faithfully support Arvind Kejriwal. Our councillors will continue to expose all of their ruses,” Singh stated.

Previously, the BJP accused the Aam Aadmi Party of attempting to entice BJP councillors.

"After cash for ticket, AAP is trying cash for councillor," the BJP had said.

The BJP claimed that Arvind Kejriwal's agents are canvassing councillors on the streets of Delhi.

Just as the AAP accused the BJP of carrying out 'Operation Lotus,' the BJP is now accusing the AAP of carrying out 'Operation Jhaadu (broom — AAP's election symbol)."

The AAP ended the BJP's 15-year reign in the civic body by winning 134 of the 250 Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) wards, according to the results announced on Wednesday. The BJP was defeated in the MCD elections by the AAP, which won 104 wards.

Also Read: Delhi MCD Results 2022: AAP dethrones BJP; key takeaways from the civic poll results