Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has sanctioned an investigation into the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) allegations that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attempted to poach its candidates ahead of the upcoming Delhi Assembly election results, scheduled for February 8.
The matter, which has generated significant political debate, came to the forefront after AAP chief and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed that 16 AAP candidates had received offers from the BJP. According to Kejriwal’s statement, these candidates were allegedly promised ministerial positions and Rs 15 crore each in return for switching allegiance.
In a post on social media, Kejriwal wrote in Hindi: “Some agencies are showing that the abusive party (BJP) is getting more than 55 seats. In the last two hours, 16 of our candidates have received calls that if they leave AAP and join their party, they will be made ministers and given Rs 15 crore each.” He also raised doubts about the credibility of exit polls, which predicted a BJP victory, and questioned why the BJP would try to poach AAP candidates if they were indeed confident of winning a majority.
“If they are indeed winning more than 55 seats, why are they calling up our candidates? These fake surveys are a conspiracy to create an atmosphere to break AAP candidates. But not a single one of them will switch sides,” Kejriwal asserted.
Atishi, the Delhi Chief Minister’s candidate from Kalkaji, also reacted to the controversy. She expressed concern about the BJP’s alleged attempts to destabilize AAP, questioning why they would target the party’s candidates if their own victory was a foregone conclusion. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Atishi stated, “If the abusive party (BJP) is getting more than 50 seats, then why are they trying to break our candidates by contacting them?”
Atishi further alleged that exit polls predicting a BJP victory were being manipulated to demoralize AAP candidates and create an environment conducive to defections.
In response to the controversy, the BJP dismissed AAP’s allegations, labeling them as defamatory and aimed at tarnishing the party’s image in the run-up to the election results.
In light of these developments, Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena directed that a thorough investigation be conducted by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to verify the claims and establish the truth. The Lieutenant Governor’s office issued a statement confirming the move, saying, “The Lieutenant Governor has desired that this matter merits a thorough investigation through the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to establish the truth in the matter.”
The ongoing investigation has added to the already charged atmosphere surrounding the Delhi elections, with both the AAP and BJP attempting to assert their narrative as the results near.