BJP spent Rs 14-15 crore each to buy MPs in V-P polls, says TMCs Abhishek Banerjee
Says 5-7 MPs of INDIA Bloc likely to have cross voted
Written by Atri Mitra
Kolkata | Updated: September 11, 2025 10:16 AM IST
3 min read
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TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee
A day after the vice-presidential elections in which the Opposition INDIA bloc’s candidate got nearly a dozen votes less than what was claimed, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday claimed that the BJP, which won the polls, “bought votes” by giving “Rs 14 to 15 crore” to each MP.
“Yesterday, I spoke to a few people and learned that they (BJP) spent Rs 15-20 crore on each MP to buy their votes. Elected representatives are selling the people’s trust and emotions. Representatives can be bought, but not the people,” Abhishek, who is considered number two in the TMC, said in Kolkata.
In the vice-presidential election, BJP-led NDA’s candidate, CP Radhakrishnan, defeated the INDIA bloc’s B Sudershan Reddy. Of the 787 votes cast, the NDA candidate got 452 votes, Reddy 300. Fourteen MPs abstained, while 15 votes were declared invalid.
“On behalf of our MPs, all 41 – 28 from Lok Sabha and 23 from Rajya Sabha – were present and voted for our candidate, B. Sudershan Reddy… Since this was a secret ballot vote, it’s difficult to say whether there was cross-voting or whether Opposition members’ votes were discarded… Everything is speculation. One theory could be that all Opposition members voted, and if all 15 Opposition votes were discarded, then cross-voting could not have happened. If you consider a 50-50 split, then it may be that 5-7 people cross-voted,” he added.
Accusing the BJP of “playing the game of money” in the 2021 Assembly elections in West Bengal, and in the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly Elections, the Diamond Harbour MP said: “There are so many elections where, in the tussle of money, MLAs have been bought and sold and governments have collapsed… In 2024, too, they (BJP) tried to buy polling agents by paying Rs 5,000 to some and Rs 10,000 to others. They spent thousands of rupees buying polling agents. But the people of Bengal voted for Trinamool. Bengal’s people showed them that leaders can be bought, but not the people.”
‘If Lok Sabha is dissolved and SIR is held, TMC will back it’: Abhishek
On conducting the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the TMC leader said that his party will fight against it inside and outside the court. “The Election Commission has not been able to answer the questions we have raised. They have also faced opposition in the Supreme Court, where the apex court clarified that they will have to accept Aadhaar as the twelfth document for identity proof. Here, they have already lost.”
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“If the EC wants to eliminate dead or ghost voters, then this is the same voter list on which Prime Minister Narendra Modi got elected in 2024. If that list is invalid, then the current elected government, the PM, and the Cabinet are all invalid. In that case, they should resign, dissolve the Lok Sabha, and conduct an SIR across the country. In that case, we will support it.”
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
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