High drama marked the day before the counting of votes in Delhi as officials of the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) visited former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence. The ACB team was visiting the AAP leader to inquire into the allegations of money being offered to AAP candidates.
Lt Governor Vinai Saxena ordered a probe into the allegations after which ACB had reached Kejriwal's residence. However, the team was not allowed inside the residence as AAP said they did not have a notice. Parallely, AAP MP Sanjay Singh visited the ACB office with complaints of “horse trading” against the BJP.
The BJP dismissed the allegation saying the AAP was making these allegations as they were losing the polls.
Arvind Kejriwal called a meeting of all the 70 candidates after which the party said they may get more than 50 seats while it was a tough challenge in 6-7 seats. The BJP had made a similar claim after the meeting of the candidates, a day before, after the meeting its candidates.
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“On Thursday, BJP representatives contacted a dozen AAP candidates, offering them ₹15 crore each and ministerial positions to switch sides. AAP’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal held a crucial meeting during which he reassured the candidates that AAP is on track to form the government in Delhi,” AAP said in a statement.
Following the party meeting, former deputy CM Manish Sisodia alleged that the BJP was attempting to contest the elections through money power and intimidation.
Senior leader Gopal Rai reiterated the party’s confidence in securing a decisive victory. “The feedback from candidates clearly indicates that AAP is set to win more than 50 seats in Delhi, with around 7-8 seats witnessing tough competition,” he said.
AAP candidate from Sultanpur Majra and Delhi government minister Mukesh Ahlawat said that he received a WhatsApp call around 11 AM from an unidentified individual who claimed to be contacting him on behalf of BJP leader Parvesh Verma. Ahlawat alleged that the caller stated that if AAP fails to form the government, the BJP would offer me a ministerial position.”
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The situation will be clear once the counting starts on Saturday. All parties have made extensive arrangements to closely monitor the counting process as it’s a closely fought election.
