Congress alleges BJP paid Gujarat MLAs to switch sides

The Congress alleged that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) offered money and ticket to fight elections to its legislators in Gujarat to switch sides, and demanded a judicial inquiry into the matter.

New Delhi:Ahead of bypolls in Gujarat which were necessitated by the resignation of Congress MLAs in the state, the party has levelled an allegation that these MLAs were bought by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, party leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "A case should be registered under Prevention of Corruption Act and other relevant sections of the IPC. A Supreme Court sitting judge or at least a sitting Chief Justice of a High Court must conduct an inquiry into this scam."

Singhvi said Akshay Patel and Kankaria had admitted on tape that they received money and even a BJP ticket in the upcoming bypolls in Gujarat. Five of the eight MLAs who resigned have been given tickets for the forthcoming bypolls.

Eight Assembly seats will go to the polls in Gujarat on November 3, while the counting of votes will take place on November 10.

Apart from Kiritsinh Rana, the BJP has fielded five Congress turncoats who joined the BJP as its candidates -- Pradyumansinh Jadeja from Abdasa, Brijesh Merja from Morbi, JV Kakadiya from Dhari, Jeetu Chaudhary from Kaprada and Akshay Patel from Karjan.

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The saffron party has also fielded former state minister and ex-Deputy Speaker Atmaram Parmar from the Gadhada (SC) seat and former legislator Vijay Patel from the Dangs assembly seat.

Besides Khachar, the Congress has fielded Babu Vadthaa from Kaprada, Suryakant Gamit from Dangs, Shantilal Sanghani from Abdasa, Jayantibhai Patel from Morbi, Suresh Kotadiya from Dhari, Mohanbhai Solanki from Gadhada and Kiritsinh Jadeja from Karjan as its candidates.

(IANS Report)