Our 3 Chandigarh councillors were offered money by BJP, alleges AAP’s Raghav Chadha

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 28

A day after the Aam Aadmi Party won 14 seats in the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation poll, its leader Raghav Chadha on Tuesday alleged that their three elected councillors were offered between Rs 50 lakh and Rs 75 lakh by the BJP.

Addressing the media here on Tuesday, Chadha claimed that some BJP leaders have contacted and even visited the houses of winning AAP candidates and offered them money. 

"Two of them were offered Rs 50 lakh and one was offered Rs 75 lakh by BJP's senior leaders on Monday evening" for leaving AAP and joining the BJP, claimed Chadha without disclosing the names of the councillors. 

He said as a "precautionary measure", AAP has decided to install cameras at the residences of his party's councillors, who have also been directed to record the conversation if any BJP leader visits or contacts them. 

He said they would make camera footage and call recordings public if any BJP leader approaches or contacts AAP councillors. 

Asked if the party would take any legal action in the matter, Chadha said they will move the state Election Commission on this issue.

He further said Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will meet the party's municipal councillors soon.

A party needs 19 votes to have its councillor elected as Mayor.

Besides 35 councillors, the Chandigarh MP, who is an ex-officio member in the MC house, has a voting right. At present, BJP's Kiron Kher is the MP from Chandigarh.

To a question on Punjab Congress MLA Fateh Jang Bajwa joining the BJP, Chadha said the Congress party is “completely finished” in the state and more MLAs and ministers will leave the Congress in the days to come.    

Chandigarh BJP president Arun Sood has dubbed Chadha's claims as “baseless and lies.”  AAP leader Chadha even claimed that some central ministers called up AAP's councillors for fixing a meeting with the Union Home Minister and the BJP president.

Earlier this month also, the AAP had accused the BJP of trying to poach its lawmakers from Punjab, with MP Bhagwant Mann claiming he was offered money and a place in the Union Cabinet if he joined the saffron party ahead of the assembly elections.

The BJP had dismissed the allegations as baseless. --- With PTI

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