AAP alleges BJP luring its MLAs, demands fresh Assembly elections in Delhi

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday attacked the Bhartaiya Janata Party (BJP) for allegedly making efforts to lure AAP MLAs to its side. AAP also demanded fresh Assembly elections in Delhi. The saffron party, however, refuted such claims, but said it is open to welcoming dissatisfied MLAs from AAP.

A meeting of 27 AAP MLAs, its losing candidates from the 2013 Delhi Assembly elections, party coordinators, Delhi observers and Political Affairs Committee members Kumar Vishwas and Gopal Rai took place on Wednesday. Criticising the BJP for its alleged efforts of trying to break the party, AAP leaders passed a resolution accusing the BJP of indulging in low-level politics.

"The BJP has been trying to lure our MLAs by offering money and posts for last few days. A leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal and a person identifying himself as a Supreme Court lawyer and an active BJP member have been instrumental in this. These people have been contacting AAP MLAs but to no avail. All the MLAs reported the matter to party's central leadership," said the resolution passed in the meeting.

"Imposition of President's rule without any reason is against the spirit of our constitution and democracy. We demand that the BJP should immediately stop its low level politics. The assembly should immediately be dissolved and elections should be declared," said AAP.

A senior BJP leader, however, said that the party "does not indulge in horse trading of MLAs".

"It is baseless for AAP to accuse us of trying to break their party. Instead, some of their MLAs are highly dissatisfied with senior AAP leaders," the BJP leader said. "If they come to us, we will welcome them. But BJP has not taken any stand on getting AAP MLAs to form a government in Delhi."

Delhi Assembly has been in suspended animation since February 14 early when Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP government resigned, alleging that the BJP and Congress were blocking the introduction and passage of the Jan Lokpal bill.