Rs 15 crore offered to each AAP leader to jump ship, says Kejriwal; BJP responds

Voters across 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi cast their votes to elect a new government in on February 5

After exit polls predicted a sweeping victory for the BJP, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the saffron party was bribing his party leaders to jump ship ahead of Delhi Assembly election results.

The former Delhi chief minister claimed the BJP had called its 16 candidates who contested in the Delhi elections and offered them Rs 15 crore each to join the BJP.

Taking to X, Kejriwal wrote, “Some agencies are showing that the abusive party 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 make them ministers and will give Rs. 15 crores to each of them.”

‘Leave AAP and come with us’

Backing Kejriwal’s allegations, AAP leader Mukesh Ahlawat said he would rather “die” than leave the former Delhi Chief Minister’s side.

“I received a call from this number. He said that their government is being formed, they will make me a minister and also give 15 crore. “Leave AAP and come with us”,” Ahlawat said in a post on X, along with a screenshot of the number from which the call allegedly came, attempting to bribe him to join the BJP.

55 16 , 15-15 55
Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 6, 2025

Voters across 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi cast their votes to elect a new government in on  February 5. The counting of votes will take place on February 8.

BJP responds

AAP leader Sanjay Singh had raised similar allegations earlier on Wednesday. "This clearly shows that the BJP has accepted its defeat even before the results,” he said.

Rejecting the allegation, BJP Delhi chief Virendra Sachdeva said the AAP claims are a result of their "frustration" as they stare at electoral defeat. "Sanjay Singh should either retract his allegations and tender an apology or face legal action," Sachdeva told NDTV.

The BJP leader also asked Singh not to forget that Kejriwal is already facing a defamation case.