BJP targetted 40 AAP MLAs with 20 cr offer each but 53 MLAs attended meeting: Saurabh Bharadwaj

Amid the ongoing speculations around Aam Aadmi Party MLAs being untraceable, party leader Saurabh Bharadwaj confirmed that the Bharatiya Janata Party targeted 40 of its party MLAs and was offering Rs 20 crores each but the conspiracy of the Opposition took a back foot as 53 out of 62 MLAs were present in the meeting held by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today.

The meeting was held in the national capital at 11 am today.

"BJP's operation lotus failed in Delhi. 53 out of 62 MLAs were present in the meeting today. Speaker is outside the country and Manish Sisodia is in Himachal. CM spoke to other MLAs over the phone and everyone said that they are with CM Kejriwal till their last breath," said Saurabh Bharadwaj.

He further alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party tried to lure over 12 AAP MLAs to break the party.

"BJP contacted our 12 MLAs and told them to break the party. They wanted to break away 40 MLAs and were offering Rs 20 crores each... Now we are going to Mahatma Gandhi Smriti," he added.

His remarks came in wake of the reports of AAP MLAs being unreachable made rounds ahead of the crucial upcoming meeting of the Aam Aadmi Party's MLAs at the Chief Minister's residence.

Earlier in the day, Delhi's Aam Aadmi Party MLA Atishi dismissed the rumours of several party MLAs being unreachable and exuded confidence that the meeting at the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence will have a full house today.

Atishi assured that the MLAs will remain attached to the party.

"We are absolutely certain that all AAP MLAs are with the party and will remain with the party. The Meeting (of party MLAs called by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal) is scheduled to begin at 11 am. I expect all MLAs to arrive by then," said Delhi AAP MLA Atishi.Another AAP MLA Dilip Pandey confirmed that all MLAs will be communicated.

"Yesterday's message was communicated and the MLAs with whom contact could not be established will be done and all MLAs will be present in the meeting," said AAP MLA Dilip Pandey.

Moreover Bharadwaj had earlier accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of allegedly offering Rs 20 crore to the AAP MLAs to "bring down" the Kejriwal-led government in the national capital.

"BJP offered to bring down Kejriwal's government by luring AAP MLAs with Rs 20-20 crores... slogans of '50 Khokha-50 Khokha' were raised in Maharashtra Assembly, hence I would say to the BJP Band karo desh se dhokha, nahi chalega 50 khoka," Bharadwaj said addressing a press conference in Delhi.

The meeting that was held at 11 am today in the national capital holds much importance as major discussions regarding the current political scenario and the raids of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) on the party leaders are likely to be deliberated in the meeting.

With several MLAs being untraceable ahead of the meeting, both AAP and Opposition parties will keenly watch how many MLAs will attend the meeting.

Earlier on Monday, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged that he had received an offer by the Bharatiya Janata Party to split the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in what he claims was a quid pro quo as the CBI initiated a probe into the Delhi's now withdrawn excise policy.BJP had declined any such offer being made to him. BJP leaders attacked Kejriwal and Sisodia, saying that it is the frustration of AAP as their corruption is getting exposed.

The trail of events started with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raiding the residence of Sisodia last Friday, in connection with an alleged liquor scam in Delhi. The Enforcement Directorate has registered a money laundering case over the Delhi excise policy.

Sisodia was among the 15 people named in an FIR filed by the CBI. Excise officials, liquor company executives, dealers with some unknown public servants and private persons have been booked in the case.

(ANI)

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