Delhi, February 07 (Punjab Khabarnama Bureau): Less than 48 hours before the results of the Delhi assembly election, Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Aadmi Party on Thursday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of attempting to poach his party candidates.
The BJP has rejected the allegation and threatened legal action.
Taking to X, Arvind Kejriwal claimed that 16 AAP candidates were offered from the BJP with the promise of ministerial positions and ₹15 crore each if they switch sides.
“Some agencies are showing that the abusive party (BJP) is getting more than 55 seats. In the last two hours, 16 of our candidates have received calls that if they leave the AAP and join their party, they will be made ministers and given ₹15 crore each,” The AAP supremo said in his post in Hindi on the microblogging platform.
Arvind Kejriwal’s X post comes shortly after three more exit polls on Thursday predicted a sweep for the BJP in the Delhi assembly election with vote share in the range of 48-49 per cent and 45-61 seats in the 70-member House.
“If they are indeed winning more than 55 seats, why are they calling up our candidates? These fake surveys are a conspiracy to create an atmosphere to break AAP candidates. But not a single one of them will switch sides,” the AAP chief asserted.
Echoing his party boss’s claims, AAP candidate from Sultanpur Majra and Delhi minister Mukesh Ahlawat said he was approached with such an offer.
“I may die, I may be cut into pieces, but I will never abandon Arvind Kejriwal,” Mukesh Ahlawat said in a post on X.
“I was told that their government is being formed and they will make me a minister and give me ₹15 crore if I leave the AAP and join them. But the respect that Kejriwal and the AAP have given me, I will never leave my party till my death,” he added.
Sanjay Singh makes similar allegations
Earlier on Thursday, AAP MP Sanjay Singh raised these allegations at a press conference, claiming that seven party MLAs had received calls or were approached in person with offers from BJP leaders.
“This clearly shows that the BJP has accepted its defeat even before the results and is now resorting to such tactics,” Sanjay Singh said.
BJP rejects allegations
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva rejected the allegations, calling them a sign of the AAP’s “frustration” over an impending electoral defeat.
“Sanjay Singh should either retract his allegations and tender an apology or face legal action,” Virendra Sachdeva said in a statement.
“He should not forget that his party leader, (former) Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, is already facing a defamation case for making similar false allegations,” the BJP leader said.
Virendra Sachdeva, however, maintained that the AAP has advised its candidates to record such calls and use spy cameras to document what transpires in any face-to-face meeting regarding poaching attempts.
Chief minister Atishi, who was the AAP candidate from Kalkaji, also weighed in on the issue. “If the abusive party (BJP) is getting more than 50 seats, then why are they trying to break our candidates by contacting them?” she asked in a post on X.
Atishi claimed that the exit polls predicting a BJP win in Delhi are a “conspiracy” aimed at demoralising AAP candidates.
Polling for all the 70 assembly seats in Delhi took place on Wednesday, with the votes set to be counted on Saturday. The results will determine whether the AAP secures a third consecutive term in power or if the BJP’s 27-year wait to rule the capital comes to an end.
Delhi election: What new exit polls predicted
Axis My India, which got its numbers right in the 2020 Delhi election, has given a 48 per cent vote share for the BJP-led alliance as against 42 per cent for the ruling AAP.
In terms of seats, the Axis My India has projected the BJP winning 45-55 seats, the AAP 15-25 seats and the Congress 0-1. It also shows others winning 0-1 seats.
Today’s Chanakya has projected that the BJP would win a 49 per cent vote share with 45-57 seats (51 with an error margin of six), while the AAP may bag only 13-25 seats with 41 per cent vote share. Others are projected to get 0-3 seats.
CNX has predicted a landslide for the BJP with 49-61 seats and 49.05 per cent vote share, while it said the AAP could get 10-19 seats with 41.52 per cent vote share. The Congress could open its account in the assembly after a gap of 10 years with 0-1 seats and a vote share of 5.37 per cent.
The results of the February 5 elections will be announced on Saturday, February 8.
Summary: Arvind Kejriwal accuses BJP of offering ₹15 crore to AAP candidates to switch sides, while AAP leaders reaffirm loyalty, calling the allegations concerning.