MLA Poaching: BJP Moves ECI; Demands CBI Inquiry

Taking umbrage over the allegations made by TRS that the BJP is indulging in buying their MLAs, a BJP delegation met the ECI on Friday.

NEW DELHI | Updated: 28 October, 2022 7:28 pm IST

BJP delegation, which included Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, met ECI

Taking umbrage over the allegations made by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is indulging in buying their MLAs, a BJP delegation met the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday.

The four-member delegation – comprising Union minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, BJP general secretary Arun Singh, party media head Anil Baluni and Om Pathak – also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the allegations against TRS, which runs the government in Telangana.

Telangana police claimed that they had arrested three individuals who were trying to bribe four important TRS MLAs to lure them into the BJP. TRS alleged that the BJP was trying to make the four-party MLAs join it on October 31, when the party’s national president, Jagat Prakash Nadda, arrived in the state for campaigning.

The BJP delegation questioned how the party could destabilise the state government when the ruling party has more than 100 MLAs.

“It is not our nature to indulge in such practises as horse-trading. We demanded a CBI inquiry. The by-election is taking place and we are winning; hence, out of frustration, the state government is conspiring against us,” the delegation said.

With the by-election for the Munugode assembly seat scheduled for November 3, the political scene in the state is getting hot with allegations and counter-allegations.

“The allegation that ₹400 crores were disbursed to buy TRS MLAs is completely baseless. They are worried that the BJP is gaining an upper hand in the election. They are now raising these baseless allegations to discredit our party,” a source in the BJP told The New Indian.

“We had met the commission (ECI) officials and told them that we were contesting a poll and not a war. How come anybody stoops to this level?” the sources questioned.

Meanwhile, TRS supporters also staged a protest at the national highway close to Munugodu. While raising slogans, the TRS allegedly burned an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.