'I Got A Call, Offered Rs 15 Crore...': AAP Leader Alleges Poaching Bid; BJP Claims AAP Is 'Panicking'

AAP leaders including supremo Kejriwal alleged that the BJP offered Rs 15 crore to their candidates, while, the BJP denied and accused AAP of "panicking" ahead of results.

Image: PTI

Ahead of the Delhi assembly election result, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders reached out to 16 AAP candidates and offered them Rs 15 crore with a ministerial berth if they joined the Saffron party.  While, the BJP rejected the charge, accusing the AAP of "panicking".

The scuffle began after some exit polls indicated an edge for the BJP. 

AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal said in a post on X, “Some agencies are showing that the Gaali Galoj 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 crore to each of them. If their party is getting more than 55 seats, what is the need for them to call our candidates? Obviously, these fake surveys have been conducted with the sole purpose of creating this atmosphere to break candidates. But… not a single person will break.” 

AAP’s Mukesh Ahlawat, a minister in the outgoing Delhi government claimed that he received a call.  He shared a screenshot of his phone records, which revealed that the call came from a number at 12:09 PM.

Without naming anyone, Ahlawat said in a post on X: “I may die but I will never abandon Arvind Kejriwal. I got a call from this number. He said that their government is being formed, they will make you a minister and will also give you 15 crore. Leave AAP. I want to tell them that the respect that Kejriwal ji and the AAP party have given me will ensure that I don’t leave the party till I die.”

मैं मर जाऊंगा, कट जाऊंगा लेकिन कभी @ArvindKejriwal जी का साथ नहीं छोडूंगा।

मुझे इस नंबर से फ़ोन आया। उसने बोला कि उनकी सरकार बन रही है, मंत्री बना देंगे और 15 करोड़ भी देंगे। “आप” छोड़ के आ जाओ।

मैं इनको कहना चाहता हूँ कि जो इज़्ज़त केजरीवाल जी ने और “आप” पार्टी ने मुझे दी है,… pic.twitter.com/ZrqIC0R4WD — Mukesh Ahlawat (@mukeshahlawatap) February 6, 2025

Reacting to the AAP’s allegations, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva alleged that AAP is "panicking" due to a looming defeat.

“It is clear that all AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, have panicked due to a looming defeat… MP Sanjay Singh’s allegation of BJP luring AAP’s candidates is a result of his frustration,” Sachdeva said, The Indian Express reported.

Voting for all 70 assembly seats took place on February 5 and the ECI is scheduled to conduct the counting on Saturday, February 8.