Two days before voting for byelections to eight seats in Gujarat, the Opposition Congress on Sunday released a video of former legislator Somabhai Patel “admitting” that the BJP paid ₹10 crore to each of the eight legislators who resigned before the Rajya Sabha polls in the State.
Gujarat Congress president Amit Chavda and former party president Arjun Modhvadia released the video and accused the ruling BJP of “buying Congress MLAs” in the State.
In the video, Mr. Patel is heard claiming, “after getting the money, the eight MLAs resigned.” The resignations ensured that the ruling party won the third Rajya Sabha seat despite being short of numbers. Their resignations have necessitated the byelections.
“It is an open secret that the BJP paid money to the legislators. With this video, it is established that the MLAs were bought during the Rajya Sabha polls,” Mr. Chavda told media persons.
Mr. Modhvadia demanded that the Income Tax department and the Enforcement Directorate launch a probe based on the admission of Mr. Somabhai.
Gujarat BJP president C.R. Paatil said he was not the State party chief in March when Mr. Somabhai resigned from the Assembly.
Meanwhile, campaigning for the November 3 byelection to the eight Assembly seats ended on Sunday evening.
The BJP has fielded five former Congress legislators in the byelections.
