New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today once again accused BJP of trying to “buy its MLAs” in order to form the government in Delhi, claiming that they were being offered money and ministerial berths to support the saffron outfit.
“Since the apex court's direction has come on dissolution of Delhi Assembly, BJP has approached five of our MLAs and offered them crores of rupees to support it in forming the government,” AAP leader Manish Sisodia told reporters here.
Supreme Court has asked the Centre to take a call on the dissolution of the state Assembly within five weeks.
Sisodia claimed that party MLAs Sanjeev Jha (Burari), Girish Soni (Madipur), Manoj Kumar (Kondli), Surender Singh (Delhi Cantt) and Raju Dhingan (Trilokpuri) were offered money and even ministerial berths by “BJP men” in the past few days in exchange for their support.
“BJP is resorting to dishonest and highly unethical means of trying to form the government by offering crores of rupees and ministerial berths to AAP MLAs,” charged Sisodia. Giving details, Soni said, “Somebody called me up on August 5 and told me he wanted to meet me.
He told me that since BJP is going to form the government in Delhi, ‘we will make you minister and give money as per your demand if you support BJP'.”
Similar was the allegation of AAP MLA Jha, who said, “Some persons met me a few days back and told me they want me to be with them. They also offered me money as per my demand to support BJP in forming the government.” Supreme Court on August 5 asked the Centre to take a decision on the dissolution of Delhi Assembly, “one way or the other” ,within five weeks.
It had also questioned it for keeping the House in suspended animation despite no party coming forward to form the government. “One party says it does not want to form the government. Another says it cannot.
A third party has no strength. In a situation like this why should people suffer?” it had asked. BJP had won 31 seats in the Delhi Assembly polls of December last year but its present strength has come down to 28 in the 70-member house as three of its MLAs—Harsh Vardhan, Ramesh Bidhuri and Pervesh Verma—were elected to Lok Sabha in the recent general elections.
The party has the support of the lone Shiromani Akali Dal MLA.
AAP today convened a meeting of all its MLAs, presided by its national convener Arvind Kejriwal, which saw discussion on development projects being executed in their constituencies.
Meanwhile, slamming BJP for “doing politics” over e-rickshaws, Sisodia charged that BJP has cheated the lakhs of drivers of these vehicles.
“BJP has cheated lakhs of drivers of e-rickshaws by making false promises to them. BJP is doing politics on this matter. A policy immediately needs to be brought and tabled in the ongoing Parliament session so that they get relief,” Sisodia said.
