Congress Accuses BJP of ‘Horse Trading’ After Corporators Go Incommunicado
Calling the alleged practice a “bad trend” that began in 2014, Mr. Wadettiwar claimed that corporators were initially paid Rs 5 lakh each to switch loyalties, but that the “rate” had now increased to Rs 15 lakh.
Mumbai:Ahead of the upcoming Legislative Council elections, 23 Congress corporators from Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts have reportedly gone untraceable. Congress Legislative Party leader Vijay Wadettiwar on Tuesday alleged that the missing corporators had each received an advance payment of Rs 5 lakh from the BJP. Mr. Wadettiwar said the Congress would initiate legal proceedings to disqualify the corporators under the anti-defection law by issuing an official party whip.
Mr. Wadettiwar accused the BJP of using financial inducements to engineer defections, claiming the party had offered to double any counter-offers made by the Congress. He further alleged that the Congress possessed evidence of such transactions and would present it at an appropriate time.
Addressing speculation over the Nagpur Legislative Council seat, Mr. Wadettiwar said the Congress would consider an unopposed election only if the BJP agreed to a broader consensus on candidates across all contested seats, rather than limiting negotiations to a single constituency. He added that the Congress had received potential candidate names from Wardha, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts, and that the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance was expected to finalise its nominees within the next two days.
According to reports, 60 to 70 Congress corporators from Chandrapur district have gone on a picnic and are currently “not reachable”. The corporators are reportedly from the Bramhapuri, Sindewahi, Nagbhid and Saoli municipalities. Votes cast by corporators and zilla parishad members are expected to play a decisive role in the forthcoming Vidhan Parishad elections from the local bodies’ constituency.
Calling the alleged practice a “bad trend” that began in 2014, Mr. Wadettiwar claimed that corporators were initially paid Rs 5 lakh each to switch loyalties, but that the “rate” had now increased to Rs 15 lakh.
“If Rs 15 lakh is being paid for one vote, will democracy survive in the future? Election expenditure has reached nearly Rs 100 crore, which is beyond the reach of ordinary people like us,” Mr. Wadettiwar said.