BSP’s expelled legislator Amar Pal Sharma, who switched over to Congress today, claimed that he was ousted from the party because he had declined to pay Rs 8 crore to party supremo Mayawati for the party ticket in the upcoming Assembly polls.
Amar Pal Sharma further alleged that Mayawati, through her close confidante Nasimuddin Siddiqui, sent a note that the money be sent immediately so that she could decide the ticket at the earliest.
Sharma further said that he bargained with Siddiqui who lowered it to Rs 5 crore but this amount too was beyond his limit and he refused to pay.
"The expulsion was the outcome of my denial," Sharma said.
Sharma was expelled from the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Monday for "anti-party activities".
In a statement, BSP's Ghaziabad district chief Prem Chand Bharti said Sharma was in league with the BJP and planning to sabotage the party's chances during the coming Assembly elections.
BSP also accused him of meeting BJP leaders on January 15 when the entire party was celebrating Mayawati's birthday.
(With IANS inputs)
