'Offered them Rs 25 crore': Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal alleges BJP tried to poach 7 AAP MLAs; check details

According to Kejriwal, BJP representatives approached seven Delhi MLAs, asserting that his arrest in a supposed liquor policy case was imminent. The BJP purportedly sought to break these MLAs, offering them Rs 25 crore each to contest elections on the BJP ticket.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday (January 27) made startling accusations, asserting that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attempted to lure as many as seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs in Delhi by offering them Rs 25 crore each to switch allegiance. CM Kejriwal claimed that the BJP engaged in talks with AAP MLAs, threatening imminent arrest in a liquor policy case. The AAP alleges that these conversations have been tape-recorded.

According to Kejriwal, BJP representatives approached seven Delhi MLAs, asserting that his arrest in a supposed liquor policy case was imminent. The BJP purportedly sought to break these MLAs, offering them Rs 25 crore each to contest elections on the BJP ticket.

While the BJP claims to have contacted 21 MLAs, Kejriwal contends that only seven were approached, and "all of them refused" the enticing offers. He emphasized that the BJP's efforts reflect their powerlessness to defeat the AAP in elections.

The AAP chief accused the BJP of orchestrating a conspiracy to topple the government in Delhi under the guise of investigating a fake liquor scam. He highlighted the resilience of the AAP government in the face of past conspiracies and expressed confidence that the people's support would thwart any nefarious intentions.

The Delhi Chief Minister asserted that the BJP's attempts to topple the AAP government stem from their perceived inability to defeat AAP in elections. He suggested that the BJP's strategy involves arresting AAP leaders on false charges to create political unrest and undermine the popular support for the AAP.

Delhi Minister Atish backed Kejriwal's claims, citing a tape where a BJP leader allegedly discussed plans to arrest Kejriwal, poach 21 MLAs, and topple the AAP government. She likened these actions to the BJP's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), referencing past instances in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Arunachal Pradesh where elected governments were allegedly toppled.

Atish accused the BJP of attempting to create political unrest in Delhi, emphasizing that the AAP MLAs firmly rejected the monetary inducements. The allegations surfaced amid reports of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's potential move to join the BJP-led NDA, disrupting the existing alliance with Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD.