New Delhi: With less than 24 hours left at the beginning of counting votes polled in Delhi assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP were locked in another slugfest with Arvind Kejriwal and Chief Minister Atishi accused the saffron party of poaching their candidates.
The development also coincides with the exit poll surprise as the majority of them predicted an upset for the AAP and gave the BJP a majority in the Delhi elections, voting for which was held on February 5.
AAP chief Kejriwal on Thursday night claimed 16 of his Delhi election candidates had been contacted asking if they would leave the party to join the BJP with the promise of Rs 15 crore and a ministerial berth.
“If this (BJP) party is getting more than 55 seats then what is the need for him to call our candidates? Obviously, these fake surveys have been conducted with the sole purpose of creating this atmosphere to break down some candidates. But you abusive people, not even one of our men will break down,” Kejriwal wrote in the post.
कुछ एजेंसीज दिखा रही हैं कि गाली गलौज पार्टी की 55 से ज़्यादा सीट आ रही हैं।
पिछले दो घंटे में हमारे 16 उम्मीदवारों के पास फ़ोन आ गए हैं कि “आप” छोड़ के उनकी पार्टी में आ जाओ, मंत्री बना देंगे और हरेक को 15-15 करोड़ देंगे।
अगर इनकी पार्टी की 55 से ज़्यादा सीटें आ रहीं हैं तो…
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 6, 2025
Chief Minister and the candidate from Kalkaji, Atishi, too laid similar allegations against the BJP, saying “why are they trying to break out candidates if they are getting more than 50 seats” in the elections?
Atishi shared a post by AAP’s Mukhesh Ahlawat, who claimed he received a phone call wherein the caller offered Rs 15 crore, claiming their government would be formed in Delhi and he would be made a minister if he left AAP.
अगर गाली गलौज पार्टी की 50 से ज़्यादा सीटें आ रही हैं, तो यह हमारे प्रत्याशियों को संपर्क कर के तोड़ने की कोशिश क्यों कर रहे हैं?
यह दिखा रहा है कि एक्ज़िट पोल एक साज़िश हैं आम आदमी पार्टी के विधायक तोड़ने की! https://t.co/3kKjiC4EQ4
— Atishi (@AtishiAAP) February 6, 2025
BJP reacts to AAP’s poaching claims
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva dismissed the allegations, describing them as a reflection of the AAP’s “frustration” over an imminent electoral loss.
In a statement, Sachdeva said, “Sanjay Singh must either withdraw his accusations and issue an apology or be prepared for legal action.”
He also cautioned Singh, noting that his party leader, former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, is already facing a defamation case for making similar false claims. Despite this, Sachdeva acknowledged that the AAP has instructed its candidates to record such calls and use spy cameras to document any face-to-face meetings related to alleged poaching attempts.
