DEHRADUN: Two Congress MLAs on Tuesday alleged they had been offered Rs 50 crore by BJP to "shift their allegiance". The allegation follows days of high drama in the state's power corridors amid uncertainty over the future of the Harish Rawat government.

The two legislators, Rajendra Bhandari and Jeet Ram, say BJP has made them all sorts of "lucrative offers, including a ticket for one family member for next year's assembly elections and a Rajya Sabha seat".

There has been talk that the two, along with deputy speaker Anusuya Prasad Maikhuri, may shift their loyalties to BJP. Nine Congress MLAs who rebelled earlier have been disqualified by the speaker - a decision they have challenged in the high court. A hearing in the case on Tuesday was deferred to April 28.

Bhandari and Ram, however, dismissed the defection "rumour". According to Badrinath MLA Bhandari, monetary offers to some Congress MLAs, including himself, had been escalating since the beginning of the crisis in the state. "The offer started from Rs 2.5 crore, went up to Rs 5 crore and then Rs 10 crore, with the latest being Rs 50 crore," he said. The legislators, who are said to be close to BJP member Satpal Maharaj, also clarified that their equation with him was "personal, not political". "No one can purchase us," Bhandari said, " The three of us have been loyal soldiers of Congress."

Tharali MLA Ram added, "We came forward today so that the message is clear to BJP. We are dedicated Congress workers."

BJP spokesman Munna Singh Chauhan challenged the MLAs to prove their charges. "These are frivolous attempts to divert people's attention from their failures," he added.



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