BJP 'Stings' AAP Over 'Cash for Tickets' Allegations Ahead of MCD Polls

Ahead of MCD Elections in Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released another ‘sting’ video, accusing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of corruption and of taking money from candidates in exchange for tickets for the civic polls.

Releasing the video of a purported conversation between AAP volunteer Bindu Shriram–who was promised a ticket in exchange for money– and AAP’s North West Delhi Lok Sabha in-charge RR Pathania and Rohini Assembly constituency in charge coordinator Puneet Goel, BJP’s national spokesperson Sambit Patra called it a ‘mother of all stings’.

“The AAP is covered in corruption. We will show you a video today. The video is of Ward no. 54, Rohini D. Today we have Bindu ji who was in Congress and then went to AAP as she was promised a ticket from this ward.” Patra said.

Patra claimed Bindu was asked Rs 80 Lakh, of which she paid Rs 21 lakh at first. Goyal asked Bindu to make the ‘full payment’ before getting a ticket, he added.

He further claimed that Goyal promised Bindu he will introduce her to AAP leader Deputy Speaker of Delhi Rakhi Birla. “Bindu asked if Rakhi Birla is aware of this exchange of money to which the ward in charge said yes,” he alleged.

The BJP leader also claimed Goyal is a close aide of Delhi Minister Gopal Rai, while another man seen in the video, Dinesh Shroff, is closer to Rajya Sabha MP and AAP’s Haryana in-charge Sushil Gupta.

“These leaders including Pathania and Goel have links with a five-member committee of the AAP that was associated with ticket distribution. AAP minister Gopal Rai, MLAs Durgesh Pathak, Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi as well as Adil Khan are its members,” he said.

The BJP leader also claimed that AAP and its chief Arvind Kejriwal are deeply involved in corruption. Patra also said the sting video revealed that 110 tickets of the AAP were reserved for distribution on the basis of a payment.

The authenticity of the video is yet to be verified.

The new video came days after the saffron party showed a video clip of a purported sting operation accusing AAP leader Mukesh Goyal of graft. Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Patra had claimed to ‘expose’ Goel and AAP.

“AAP is a party which claimed that its mission was to fight corruption. They said if you want to expose corruption then you should do sting, and record videos on your phone. Slowly it came out that AAP is maha thug,” Patra has said taking a potshot at the Arvind Kejriwal-led party.

AAP Denies Charges

AAP MLA Dilip Pandey rejected the sting video as “fake”.

Responding to charges, Pandey said the party’s tickets for MCD polls were much sought after. “There are many touts who got active. Touts got active but no tickets were given on the basis of money. The BJP did not do anything. The AAP is not BJP or Congress where tickets are distributed to those who pay money,” he said.

“The fake sting operations that BJP is bringing everyday show that BJP is losing the elections very badly,” he said.

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