Amid AAP’s poaching charge, first-time MLA claims he was offered

mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, February 07, 2025: Mukesh Ahlawat, a first-time MLA who was Arvind Kejriwal’s surprise pick for the Delhi cabinet last year, is among the 16-odd AAP candidates who have allegedly received an offer from the BJP to change sides ahead of the election results.

The BJP, which is eyeing to dethrone the AAP after a decade, has denied the allegation.

Mr Ahlawat shared a phone number from which he claimed he got a call last night and was offered Rs 15 crore and a ministerial berth if he leaves the AAP and joins the BJP. But he asserted he won’t abandon his leader, no matter the price he has to pay for it.

Read: Arvind Kejriwal’s Big ’Rs 15 Crore’ Claim, BJP Hits Back With Legal Threat

"I could die, I may be chopped, but I will never abandon Arvind Kejriwal," said the AAP leader who holds the portfolio of Gurudwara Elections, SC & ST, Land & Building, Labour, and Employment. "I got a call from this number and I was told their government is being formed. (They said) they would make me a minister and give me Rs 15 crore if I leave AAP and join them."

But that’s not an option, declared Mr Ahlawat in his online post that was also shared by Chief Minister Atishi.

"I want to tell them that the respect that Kejriwal Ji and the AAP party have given me, I will never leave my party till my death," said the MLA from Delhi’s Sultanpur Majra.

Atishi and her political mentee Arvind Kejriwal echoed the allegation - AAP leader Sanjay Singh had earlier raised poaching charges against the BJP - and wondered why the BJP is trying to poach AAP candidates when some exit polls have already projected their victory.

"If they are getting more than 50 seats, then why are they trying to break our candidates by contacting them? This shows that the exit polls are a conspiracy to break the Aam Aadmi Party MLAs," said the Chief Minister on X.

Arvind Kejriwal, who led the massive AAP campaign in Delhi, branded the exit polls as "fake surveys" that he claimed were carried out to pressure the AAP candidates.

"If the party is getting more than 55 seats then what is the need to poach our candidates? These fake surveys were conducted with the sole aim of poaching some candidates. But not even one of us will bend," said the former chief minister who has vowed to return to the top post after his party wins the election.

The BJP rejected the allegation and said it was the result of the AAP’s "frustration" arising from their imminent defeat. "Sanjay Singh should either retract his allegations and tender an apology or face legal action," said Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva and asked Mr Singh not to forget that Mr Kejriwal is already facing a defamation case.

Delhi voted on February 5 to elect its next government, and the results will be out on Saturday (February 8).