Lone MNS corporator in BMC says Shiv Sena tried to lure him too

MNS chief Raj Thackeray too alleged there was “horse-trading” and his corporators were offered Rs5 crore each

After the defection of six corporators, Sanjay Turde, the lone Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) corporator in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), on Thursday claimed he, too, was made an offer to join the Shiv Sena.

MNS chief Raj Thackeray too alleged there was “horse-trading” and his corporators were offered Rs5 crore each (FILE)

Turde, a councillor from Kurla, said a party colleague, who joined the Shiv Sena last week, made the offer to him. He has now written to the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) of the Mumbai police seeking a probe into the defection.

“On October 12, the colleague asked me if I was willing to defect to the Shiv Sena. They told me it would be a good career move, but I declined,” Turde said.

In the letter to the ACB, Turde alleged Dilip Lande made the offer.

When asked how much money was offered, Turde said, “As I flatly denied it, the discussion didn’t reach that stage.”

The corporator’s complaint came nearly a week after BJP MP Kirit Somaiya wrote to the joint director of enforcement directorate, Satyavrat Kumar, alleging money laundering in the defection.

On October 13, Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray welcomed the six corporators into the party and dismissed allegations of poaching and horse-trading.

Uddhav called it a ‘home-coming’, as most of them were part of the Shiv Sena before the MNS was formed.