The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Party on Tuesday alleged that the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) was trying to topple its government in Punjab by offering hefty sums to its legislators. The BJP dismissed the allegation, saying AAP was attempting to divert public attention from its governance failures.
Punjab’s Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said at least 10 AAP MLAs have been approached by, what he termed, “agents of the BJP” from Delhi over the phone in the past seven days, who allegedly offered ₹25 crore to each of the legislators to quit AAP and join the BJP.
Mr. Cheema alleged that the agents had even said that if an MLA came as an individual, he or she would get ₹25 crore and if more MLAs were brought along, sums of ₹50 crore to ₹70 crore were on offer.
Addressing a press conference here, the Finance Minister said that these agents were offering to arrange meetings of AAP MLAs with some person called ‘Babu ji’.
When asked to share the names of the MLAs who were approached, Mr. Cheema said electronic and other proofs would be made public at the appropriate time.
“After using central investigation agencies against AAP leaders in Delhi and offering money to MLAs in Delhi, now, the BJP is attempting to buy MLAs in Punjab,” alleged Mr. Cheema, adding that the Punjab government would investigate and legal action would be initiated.
Ashwani Sharma, BJP State president, said the allegations levelled by Mr. Cheema were completely baseless. “The reason behind the AAP’s allegations is to divert the attention of the public from the government’s failure to perform, besides diverting attention from the party’s internal factionalism due to brewing discord between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal amid MP Raghav Chadha’s interference in Punjab. There is also a strong possibility of a split in the AAP in the coming days,” he said.
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring ridiculed AAP’s allegations. He said that no doubt the BJP was quite capable of poaching Opposition MLAs, but in this case, the AAP appeared to be trying to divert public attention from its own failures.
“Or maybe there is some revolt brewing within AAP that MLAs are feeling restless and the party leadership is trying to pre-empt any such move,” he said.
“It is a classic example of crying wolf,” he said, adding that AAP had been periodically levelling such allegations. He asked AAP to name the MLAs who were being approached and name the people who were trying to “buy” them.
