New Delhi: Senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh on Saturday alleged that the BJP has started “threatening and luring” some of his party’s councillors and asserted that it was “impossible to buy” them.
In a statement issued by the AAP, Singh was also quoted as saying that despite getting nearly 30 seats less than the AAP in the recently held elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), and losing on 80 seats as compared to the previous election, the BJP has resorted to its “dirty tactics”.
There was no immediate reaction from the BJP.
Delhi BJP chief Adesh Gupta had on Friday said the new mayor will be from the AAP and the BJP will play the role of a “strong opposition”, ending speculation over the saffron party staking a claim on the mayor’s post despite losing the civic polls.
However, Singh, a Rajya Sabha MP, claimed that the BJP is “shamelessly making claims” of getting its own mayor in the MCD, despite falling short from majority by 30 seats.
“The BJP has started threatening and luring AAP councillors. These are elected councillors of the AAP, it is impossible to buy them. I demand from the police commissioner of Delhi to have those arrested who are involved in any trading of councillors here through money and threats,” he alleged.
Does the Election Commissioner have no responsibility in this matter, he asked.
The AAP got a shot in the arm after two Congress councillors joined it on Friday, taking the total number to 136. There is no anti-defection law in the MCD.
The AAP won 134 wards, while the BJP won 104 wards in the recently concluded MCD elections, ending BJP’s 15-year rule in the civic body.
In the statement, the party also quoted a few of its councillors claiming that they were being “offered money” to switch allegiance or cross vote.
The AAP will decide on the probables for the mayor’s post after the Delhi Lieutenant Governor gives a date for the house to be convened, a party functionary said on Friday.
The MCD will be approaching LG V K Saxena to seek a date on which the municipal House can be convened so that the councillors can take oath, and a mayor can be elected.
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