BJP in touch with 14 AAP MLAs who want to quit, says Union minister Vijay Goel
New Delhi, May 2: Amid horse-trading allegations, the BJP Thursday claimed it was in touch with 14 AAP legislators who wanted to leave the ruling party in Delhi due to "frustration and humiliation".
Senior BJP leader and Union minister Vijay Goel said the AAP MLAs were "deeply distressed" and ready to quit the party.
The AAP has accused the saffron party of indulging in horse-trading in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
"14 of the AAP MLAs are in contact with us and they might soon leave the party because they are frustrated by the work of their own party," Goel said in a press conference.
AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday alleged the BJP was offering Rs 10 crore each to its seven MLAs to switch sides.
"Since the BJP does not have any development issue to raise, it has now come down to indulging in horse-trading by attempting to buy seven of our MLAs at Rs 10 crore each," he said.
Meanwhile, Goel said Sisodia had himself maintained that his party MLAs were "saleable" and would take a "bribe" of Rs 10 crore.
The Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs added that Sisodia's allegation was "absolutely false", and asked the AAP leader to produce evidence to support his charge.
The BJP leader said many AAP MLAs have already rebelled against the leadership and were "sidelined" in the party.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
