NEW DELHI: Ahead of the Delhi Assembly election results, Sanjay Singh, leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Rajya Sabha MP, has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attempting to buy out AAP candidates in a bid to engineer defections. Singh claimed that seven AAP candidates have been offered โน15 crore each to switch sides, calling this an attempt to subvert the electoral process.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Singh alleged that the BJP had already accepted defeat in the elections and had now resorted to โOperation Lotusโโa term often used by opposition parties to describe alleged attempts by the BJP to lure legislators from rival camps. He claimed that multiple AAP candidates had received phone calls from BJP operatives urging them to defect and help form a government.
In response to these alleged offers, Singh said that AAP has instructed all its candidates and sitting MLAs to stay vigilant and record any calls or meetings related to such inducements. โWe have specifically directed them to record all such calls and formally report them. Additionally, if anyone approaches them in person with such an offer, they should secretly record a video and share the evidence with the media and the public,โ Singh stated.
The allegations come at a crucial juncture, just days before the vote counting on February 8. Singh asserted that this was not the first time such attempts had been made, recalling similar incidents after the 2013 Delhi elections when AAP MLAs were allegedly approached with monetary offers. He further accused the BJP of using central agencies to pressure opposition leaders and destabilize governments across the country.
While the AAP has made these claims, the BJP has not responded immediately. The party has denied similar accusations in the past, dismissing them as political theatrics.
With just two days left for the election results, the allegations add another layer of controversy to an already heated political battle in the capital. Whether these claims lead to further political escalation or any formal investigation remains to be seen.
