Highlights
- AAP has 62 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi Assembly
- AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj accused BJP of offering Rs 20 crore to AAP MLAs
- Earlier, Manish Sisodia alleged that he had received an offer by BJP
Delhi News LIVE: A total of 53 AAP MLAs out of 62 attended a meeting convened by party supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday to discuss alleged poaching attempts by the BJP. The meeting that was scheduled to begin at 11 am was concluded within a few minutes. Reportedly, all the 62 legislators of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi were contacted ahead of the meeting at Kejriwal's residence.
The sources said at least a dozen AAP MLAs had gone incommunicado ahead of the meeting. "We were not able to contact some of our MLAs as they were probably stuck in traffic, but we want to assure the people of Delhi that the AAP government will not fall. I want to assure you that all the legislators would be present at the meeting," senior party leader Saurabh Bhardwaj had told reporters outside the chief minister's residence.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders have dismissed the AAP's "poaching" claim, terming it a "public stunt" by the Kejriwal-led party. BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said the AAP is trying to divert people's attention and questioned Kejriwal's "silence" over the Delhi excise policy. Four AAP MLAs who had claimed on Wednesday that they were approached by BJP leaders with an offer to switch sides said they were told that the saffron party was in touch with "20-25 MLAs" of the Kejriwal-led party.
The AAP government has also convened a special session of the Delhi Assembly on Friday over CBI, ED probes, raids targeting its ministers and the "poaching" efforts made by the BJP. The saffron party has challenged the AAP to reveal the names of those who allegedly contacted its MLAs with an offer to switch sides and charged that the Kejriwal-led party is trying hard to divert attention from the Delhi government''s liquor "scam".
The AAP has 62 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi Assembly.
The Kejriwal government has also convened a special session of the Delhi Assembly on Friday over CBI, ED probes, raids targeting its ministers and the "poaching" efforts made by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Aam Aadmi Party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj had accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of allegedly offering Rs 20 crore to the AAP MLAs to "bring down" the Kejriwal-led government in the national capital. "BJP offered to bring down Kejriwal's government by luring AAP MLAs with Rs 20-20 crores... slogans of '50 Khokha-50 Khokha' were raised in Maharashtra Assembly, hence I would say to the BJP Band karo desh se dhokha, nahi chalega 50 khoka," Bharadwaj said addressing a press conference in Delhi.
Also Read | Kejriwal calls meet of MLAs to discuss alleged poaching by BJP; Special Assembly session on Friday
Earlier on Monday, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged that he had received an offer by the Bharatiya Janata Party to split the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in what he claims was a quid pro quo as the CBI initiated a probe into the Delhi's now withdrawn excise policy. BJP had declined any such offer being made to him. BJP leaders attacked Kejriwal and Sisodia, saying that it is the frustration of AAP as their corruption is getting exposed.
The trail of events started with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raiding the residence of Sisodia last Friday, in connection with an alleged liquor scam in Delhi. The Enforcement Directorate has registered a money laundering case over the Delhi excise policy. Sisodia was among the 15 people named in an FIR filed by the CBI. Excise officials, liquor company executives, dealers with some unknown public servants and private persons have been booked in the case.
Also Read | Delhi liquor policy scam: 'MLAs threatened, offered bribes to break party', says Arvind Kejriwal
