BJP accuses AAP leader of bribery ahead of MCD polls, demands action

Patra further said Goel is the “right-hand” of Kejriwal, who never took any decision relating to the MCD without consulting Goel

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Mukesh Goel of allegedly demanding ₹1 crore from a junior engineer of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) for giving gifts to party leaders. The party also demanded that Goel should immediately be sacked by the party’s high command.

Goel, a five-time municipal councillor, quit the Congress in November last year and joined the AAP (Twitter/Screengrab)

AAP has fielded Goel from the Adarsh Nagar ward in the MCD polls which goes to poll on Dec 4.

“AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal should immediately sack Goel from the party,” BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said at a press conference in New Delhi while showing a video of the purported sting operation on Goel.

Addressing a press conference, Patra said, “Mukesh Goel demanded ₹1 crore from a junior engineer. He is heard saying that Diwali is coming and he has to give gifts to 100-150 big leaders. He tells the officer that he has to pay a minimum price of ₹1 crore.”

Goel, a five-time municipal councillor, quit the Congress in November last year and joined the AAP.

Patra further said Goel is the “right-hand” of Kejriwal, who never took any decision relating to the MCD without consulting Goel.

“He is one of the old-timers who knows about the functioning of the MCD. He is one of the top ten AAP leaders in Delhi. He also played a key role in the ticket distribution,” Patra said.

Responding to BJP’s allegations, Goel said the video is a ‘fake’, and the clipping has been doctored, adding that he will file a defamation case against Patra. “I have worked for 25 years on several positions in corporation and has never been accused of corruption,” he said, adding BJP made my fake clip to hide its 15 years of corruption.

“This is just an attempt to tarnish the party’s image. I’m even ready for an investigation if needed. I’ll file a defamation case against Sambit Patra and the people who were with him,” Goel said.

The 250-ward MCD goes to polls on December 4 and the counting of votes will take place on December 7.

Data released by the election commission states that out of the 2,021 nominations, 492 are from the Aam Admi Party (AAP), 423 from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and 334 from the Congress.