Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) Delhi Government has issued a notice to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Chief and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on the basis of his allegations of a bribery attempt on AAP MLAs by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This advancement follows up, when the Delhi chief minister, Kejriwal, had announced a formal statement that BJP had proposed ₹15 crore each to switch their political allegiance to the AAP party.
Probe Ordered Following BJP Complaint
Lieutenant Governor (LG) VK Saxena initiated an inquiry after the BJP lodged a complaint to Kejriwal’s allegations . During the probe, an ACB team went to Kejriwal’s residence and served him a notice asking him to furnish information and proof of his allegations. The notice specifically seeks confirmation on whether Kejriwal personally posted the tweet making the bribery allegations.
The ACB has also sought information regarding the 16 AAP MLAs who were supposedly contacted by the BJP. In addition, Kejriwal has been asked to furnish names, phone numbers, and any other information related to the individuals who supposedly made the offers. The study probe seeks to confirm the truth of these allegations and whether legal proceeding is appropriate (or necessary, sometimes).
Legal Consequences for Spreading Misinformation?
The ACB has put in its notice that if the allegations are not proved to be false, then legal action could be taken against those individuals spreading false information in media and on social media platforms. The counterpart notice declares that if those, however, are all baseless, they may lead to public outcry and panic within the Delhi population.
This probe has thrown political haymakers in the air while, at the same time, upcoming official announcement of the Delhi election result on 08th February has very soon been on the cards. As voting is now closed, no MLA-elects have yet been formally announced. But AAP has claimed that BJP is “fishing” to recruit AAP’s prospective MLAs even while they have no idea of the result.
Kejriwal’s Allegations Against BJP
कुछ एजेंसीज दिखा रही हैं कि गाली गलौज पार्टी की 55 से ज़्यादा सीट आ रही हैं।
पिछले दो घंटे में हमारे 16 उम्मीदवारों के पास फ़ोन आ गए हैं कि “आप” छोड़ के उनकी पार्टी में आ जाओ, मंत्री बना देंगे और हरेक को 15-15 करोड़ देंगे।
अगर इनकी पार्टी की 55 से ज़्यादा सीटें आ रहीं हैं तो…
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 6, 2025
Arvind Kejriwal has posted on social media site X (formerly Twitter) on February 6, alleging that the BJP is into political horse-trading. He claimed that 16 AAP candidates had received phone calls offering them ministerial positions and ₹15 crore each if they defected to BJP.
In his post, Kejriwal questioned the credibility of exit polls predicting a BJP victory in Delhi, asking why BJP would need to bribe AAP candidates if it were confident of securing a majority.
“If BJP is really getting 55 seats, as some exit polls indicate, why are they bribing our candidates. This shows that these exit polls are spurious, tweeted Kejriwal.
He also claimed that the aim of the “*fake exit polls” was to generate a false impression of the strength of the BJP and with a view to encourage political defections.
“These fake surveys were conducted solely to create an atmosphere for poaching our candidates. But just listen, abusive people, not a single one of our men, will depart us,” declared Kejriwal.
BJP’s Response to the Allegations
The BJP has dismissed Kejriwal’s claims as baseless and accused AAP of attempting to divert attention from its declining political influence. BJP chieftains maintain that Kejriwal is issuing such statements as a cover as AAP fails to deliver a good result in the election.
In the meantime, political experts have been arguing that the timing of the allegations—right before announcement of election results —itself creates a new layer of mystery in the unfolding political war in Delhi.
Political Implications
This latest controversy has exacerbated the political conflict between AAP and BJP, as both sides attacked the legitimacy of the electoral process and the morality of taking political steps. Although AAP argues that BJP’s action is based on the desperation of the ruling party, BJP argues that Kejriwal is misleading by manufacturing accusations just to maintain face.
When the Election Commission finally releases the resultant, everyone will be watching—and waiting to see how this political circus plays out and whether the ACB even comes up with concrete evidence for or against Kejriwal’s assertions.
Politics in Delhi is raked along with the charges of bribery, political defection and legal entanglement, and the state is waiting for its new government.
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