Defending the BJP for allowing the entry of leaders from different political parties, many of whom have had ongoing investigations against them from Central security agencies and have now landed tickets for the Lok Sabha 2024 elections, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao said that the party would not compromise on its ideology for any one.
Having set itself the steep target of 370 seats — a rise of 67 seats from their present 303 tally, the BJP, according to some estimates, has given tickets to 34 candidates who joined them just ahead of the polls.
The Opposition has accused the BJP of using coercive measures like misusing Central agencies to frame Opposition leaders to co-opt them and promptly dropping the charges against them when they joined the party. Vehemently denying the charge, Mr. Sao, who also headed the Chhattisgarh BJP till recently, said, “The question is, the Opposition is claiming that BJP is bringing on board corrupt leaders. But were they branded as corrupt when they were with the Opposition parties? And if they were indeed corrupt, then why weren’t they thrown out?”
