BJP hits AAP with fresh ‘cash for ticket’ videos; Party denies claim

Former AAP member Bindu Sriram, who shot the videos, has claimed that she was asked to fork out ₹80 lakh to get a party ticket from Rohini ward D to contest the MCD polls.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday released two videos purportedly shot by a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) member, and alleged that the AAP has sold tickets to candidates contesting the upcoming municipal corporation elections.

New Delhi, Jan 10 (ANI): BJP Leader Sambit Patra addresses during a press conference at BJP HQ, in New Delhi on Friday. (ANI Photo)

The AAP hit back, accusing the BJP of releasing fake sting videos over fears of losing the MCD polls, scheduled for December 4.

Former AAP member Bindu Sriram, who shot the videos, has claimed that she was asked to fork out ₹80 lakh to get a party ticket from Rohini ward D to contest the MCD polls. She and the BJP have claimed that in the first video, she discusses how to make the payment with Puneet Goel, the AAP in-charge for the Rohini assembly constituency, and that in the second video, she discusses the matter with the party’s North West Delhi Lok Sabha in-charge RR Pathania.

To be sure, HT has not independently verified the authenticity of the video, and the AAP has said that they are doctored.

Releasing the videos at a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said, “This is the mother of all stings. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal used to ask people to do sting operations to expose corruption. Today, (former AAP worker) Bindu has exposed the AAP which has sold tickets for the municipal elections. She was asked to pay ₹80 lakh to get a ticket from Rohini ward D.”

He added, “Pathania and Goel have links with a five-member committee of the AAP that was associated with ticket distribution. In the video, the members are heard naming AAP minister Gopal Rai, MLAs Durgesh Pathak, Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi. They don’t name Adil Khan, who is the APMC chairman, but he is the fifth member of that committee.”

BJP leader and Rohini legislator Vijender Gupta, who was also present, said, “It is not just MCD elections, in the video it is clear that they sold tickets for the assembly election too. We demand an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB).”

Speaking at the press conference, Sriram said, “AAP leaders sold tickets for the MCD polls to rich people and neglected their volunteers, who worked hard on the ground.”

Hitting back, AAP leader and Timarpur MLA Dilip Pandey said the BJP is releasing doctored videos because it has done little in the 15 years that it has ruled the MCD.

“The reality is that if the BJP had really done something in 15 years then they would be able to talk about their work, and would not find the need to manufacture fake sting operations before the MCD elections,” he said,

Pandey also claimed that tickets to contest elections on an AAP ticket are the “most in demand”, due to which “a few people have started to act like brokers and are trying to take advantage of the situation”.

He added, “One thing has become clear even in these doctored videos released by BJP that no one can get tickets from AAP with money. The Aam Aadmi Party has not given tickets to anyone by taking money. It is just not possible. Tickets are given only to those candidates who have worked among the people at the grassroots level.”