New Delhi: A day before the counting of the civic elections, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Alka Lamba on Tuesday claimed that she was offered a Lok Sabha ticket in return of defecting to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Ms Lamba also alleged that the saffron party was trying to lure away other AAP legislators as well.
The Chandni Chowk legislator claimed that she got a call from a “BJP person” who offered her a Lok Sabha ticket and a position similar to the one given to former AAP leader Shazia Ilmi. Ms Ilmi, who joined the BJP before the February 2015 Assembly polls in Delhi, has been appointed as an independent director with Engineers India Ltd (EIL), a public sector undertaking.
“The BJP is making its leaders call up AAP MLAs and tell them that the party is coming to an end. You (AAP MLAs) will be given an MP ticket or an important position in the government. We can do this for you by telling (BJP president) Amit Shah. The BJP leader said Modi-ji will soon impose the President’s Rule in Delhi just like it did in Arunchal Pradesh and Uttarakhand,” the AAP MLA said in a series of tweets.
Ms Lamba refused to name the BJP leader, but said she has appraised the party of the matter. She told reporters that she spoke to senior AAP leader and Delhi’s deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and handed over details of her conversation with the BJP leader.
The haratiya Janata Party president tried to buy out some Congress leaders, “but not everyone can be bought,” Ms Lamba said.
The Aam Aadmi Party legislator herself had left the Congress to contest on the AAP ticket in 2015 Assembly elections.
Ms Alka Lamba’s claims have come close on the heels of AAP national convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s warning that the party will launch a “movement” if the exit poll prediction of a BJP sweep in the civic elections come true. Similar claims were made by the AAP in 2014 after Mr Kejriwal had resigned as the chief minister.
Ms Lamba’s former AAP colleague, Ms Shazia Ilmi, took to Twitter to challenge her to provide evidence in support of her claims.
“Well I challenge you to prove this or get ready for a another defamation case? Any evidence or just gassing??” she tweeted after the row erupted.
Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Kuljeet Singh Chahal said Ms Lamba’s allegations show “desperation” in AAP ahead of the “certain defeat” in the municipal polls, results for which will be declared on Wednesday.
“Those MLAs of Aam Aadmi Party who are dedicated to the nation and to the people shall think over the present situation of their party and free the people of Delhi from the symbol of anarchism, Arvind Kejriwal, at the right time,” he said.
