8. Cash-for-votes scandal (2008):
The cash-for-votes scandal took place in the aftermath of CPI(M), one of the major pillars of UPA-I, withdrawing support to the Manmohan Singh Government over nuclear deal with USA.
On July 22, 2008, BJP members waved bundles of cash which they produced from bags in parliament during the debate, accusing the government of giving it to them in order to buy their support or abstention in the vote.
The UPA won the confidence vote with 275 in favour and 256 against.
on August 2, the BJP offered "documentary evidence" to support its allegation that three of its members Ashok Argal, Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahaveer Bhagora had been bribed.
The evidence included transcripts of video recordings and explanatory letters from two of the MPs, all of which was passed to the investigatory committee that had been set up by parliament to probe the entire matter.
Rajya Sabha members Amar Singh and Ahmad Patel were alleged to have played major roles in this bribery scandal. Samajwadi party had supported the confidence vote despite its well known anti-US stand.
The parliamentary committee reported in December 2008 that it had found no evidence of bribery in the case of Amar Singh and Ahmad Patel.
An application was made to the Supreme Court on 2 April requesting that it ordered a Special Investigation Team to probe the affair.
Two BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulaste and Mahavir Bhagora along with Sudheendra Kulkarni were arrested in this case. Even Amar Singh had to go behind bars in this case.
US diplomatic cables leaked on WikiLeaks purportedly say that payoffs had been made to MPs to ensure majority for the UPA government in the confidence vote. Nachiketa Kapur, a political aide of Congress leader Satish Sharma, is quoted in the US embassy cables as saying that a fund of Rs.50 crore had been formed to pay MPs.
