Delhi Mayor polls today: AAP tried to poach our councillors offering Rs 1 cr each, says BJP; AAP slams allegations

At a press conference held an hour before the MCD House was to begin its sitting for the day to elect the mayor, deputy mayor and chairpersons of various standing committees, the BJP alleged that the AAP’s Rajinder Nagar MLA and MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak had reached out to its elected councillors in a bid to induce them to cross-vote. “What we have exposed today is the real face of the party which claims to be kattar imandaar (steadfastly honest); they have not had faith in their elected councillors since the elections. There is a divide within their own flock,” Delhi BJP working president Virendra Sachdeva alleged.

“These ten BJP councillors were offered everything from crores of rupees to posts of their choice by the AAP; one of the leaders who contacted them was AAP MLA and MCD in-charge Durgesh Pathak,” BJP MLA Vijender Gupta alleged. Each of the ten BJP councillors then proceeded to accuse Pathak of having contacted them through local AAP functionaries and asking them to “support the AAP” in the House.

Among the councillors were Monika Pant, Manish Chadha, Sushil Jonty, Sandeep Kapoor, Dharamvir Sharma, Chandan Singh, Brajesh, Umang Bajaj and Shashi Yadav. The BJP councillors alleged they were offered upwards of Rs 1 crore, posts of their choice in standing committees as well as AAP MLA tickets to contest the 2025 Assembly polls.

Meanwhile, AAP MLA Atishi accused the BJP of trying to form the municipal government in Delhi through the backdoor over the last two months. “First, they nominated aldermen illegally, then appointed the presiding officer illegally. Now, they are trying to postpone mayoral elections through the presiding officer. They are doing this because they know they don’t have the numbers to win the mayoral polls,” Atishi alleged.

“The BJP did a conference a few minutes ago and made false and laughable allegations that AAP tried to break away 10 of their councillors. It is laughable because the BJP is known for its Operation Lotus, whereby it buys MLAs regularly, and is trying now accuse the AAP of the same thing,” she added.

People who tried to buy AAP MLAs, who lured them with money, posts and promises of MLA tickets in future, are now making these allegations against the AAP and it is laughable, Atishi alleged.

On his part, Pathak claimed that BJP leaders were saying yesterday that 20 AAP councillors will join the BJP before the polls on Monday. “Today, when that did not happen, they came forward with a new story that our councillors were approached by the AAP. The people have given you a chance to be in the Opposition, do it. Work for the people,” Pathak said.