Chandigarh MC elections: Raghav Chadha alleges BJP offering money to AAP councillors

Chandigarh, Dec 28: The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday accused the BJP of offering money to his party's three municipal councillors from Chandigarh to poach them. AAP leader Raghav Chadha made the allegation a day after the results of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation polls threw up a hung verdict, with AAP winning 14 of 35 wards and BJP bagging 12. The Congress got eight seats and the Shiromani Akali Dal one.

Addressing the media here on Tuesday, Chadha alleged that some BJP leaders have contacted and even visited the houses of winning AAP candidates and offered them money. "Two of them were offered Rs 50 lakh and one was offered Rs 75 lakh by BJP's senior leaders on Monday evening" for leaving AAP and joining the BJP, claimed Chadha without disclosing the names of the councillors.

He said that as a "precautionary measure", AAP has decided to install cameras at the residences of his party's councillors, who have also been directed to record the conversation if any BJP leader visits or contacts them.

He said they would make camera footage and call recordings public if any BJP leader approaches or contacts AAP councilors. A party needs 19 votes to have its councilor elected as Mayor. Besides 35 councillors, the Chandigarh MP, who is an ex-officio member in the MC house, has a voting right. At present, BJP's Kirron Kher is the MP from Chandigarh.

Earlier this month also, the AAP had accused the BJP of trying to poach its lawmakers from Punjab, with MP Bhagwant Mann claiming he was offered money and a place in the Union Cabinet if he joined the saffron party ahead of the assembly election.

The BJP had dismissed the allegations as baseless.