BJP poaching MLAs, order fresh polls: AAP to Pranab

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, July 4, 2014:  Claiming that the BJP was “making desperate attempts to poach MLAs from other parties”, all 27 MLAs of the Aam Aadmi Party met President Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday evening and asked that the Delhi Assembly be dissolved.

“In a letter submitted to Pranab, AAP national convenor and New Delhi MLA Arvind Kejriwal said the BJP had approached 15 MLAs over the past few days, offering them money ranging from  Rs 10 crore to 20 crore.

Kejriwal’s letter said, “In the last few days, BJP has approached 15 of our MLAs, with offers of ministerial berths, properties and cash ranging from Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore. When this did not work, the BJP has now resorted to making life threats on our MLAs. On the evening of July 1, 2014, Bandana Kumari, our MLA from Shalimar Bagh, was given a life threat.

She has already filed a police complaint in this regard. We are attaching a CD with this letter which contains CCTV footage of the people who came to threaten Bandana Kumari.”

Hitting out at the NDA government, Kejriwal wrote that a dent in BJP’s popularity had resulted in the party shying away from Assembly polls.  “The NDA government was sworn in on May 26 at the Centre. People had very high hopes from this new government. In the last one month, however, the hopes of people have been shattered because the prices of almost all commodities have been rising.

No steps have been taken to check corruption and no steps have been taken so far which could give people a hope that things would improve in the future. This has severely dented BJP’s popularity… They are afraid that if elections are held in the near future, BJP would lose very badly.

Therefore, BJP is making desperate attempts to poach MLAs from other parties,” Kejriwal wrote.

Calling President Pranab their last hope, Kejriwal said, “We would urge you to kindly save the Constitution by dissolving the Delhi Assembly and ordering fresh elections immediately…”

Shakeel Ahmed, Congress general secretary and in-charge in Delhi, said, “As far as I know, no Congress MLA has been approached by the BJP.  But we aren’t surprised by their attempts to resort to unethical means.”