Lok Sabha elections 2019: Not easy to buy AAP lawmaker, said Kejriwal. Hours later, one joins BJP

Anil Bajpai’s joining the BJP comes at a time when AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, have accused the BJP of indulging in horse trading.

Hours after AAP convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal claimed that it wasn’t easy to buy AAP lawmakers, his party’s Gandhi Nagar MLA Anil Bajpai jumped ship and joined the BJP. Kejriwal’s comments were in response to BJP leader Vijay Goel claiming that 14 AAP MLAs were in touch with the BJP.

Bajpai is the second lawmaker from the AAP to have joined the BJP in the last two months.

Earlier, in the day, Kejriwal had posed a question for PM Narendra Modi on Twitter and asked if he would “topple state governments by buying MLAs from opposition parties”.

“Modi ji, would you topple the state government by buying MLAs of every opposition party? Is this your definition of democracy? And where do you get so much money to buy the MLAs? You have tried to buy our MLAs many times. Buying the AAP lawmakers is not easy,” he tweeted.

The announcement of Bajpai joining the BJP came shortly after this tweet.

Bajpai’s joining the BJP comes at a time when AAP leaders, including Kejriwal, have accused the BJP of indulging in horse trading.

“I worked with the AAP for many years. I was hurt by the lack of respect and the peculiar functioning of the party. It has detracted from its original path,” Bajpai said, while joining the BJP.

Earlier, AAP leader deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia had alleged that the BJP had offered Rs 10 crore each to seven AAP MLAs to switch sides.

Bajpai, however, denied having taken any money for joining the BJP and claimed that Kejriwal was in the habit of making allegations and then tendering apologies.

On Thursday, former Delhi BJP chief and Union minister Vijay Goel had claimed that 14 AAP MLAs were in touch with his party and wanted to quit the AAP due to “frustration and humiliation”.

Three municipal councilors of AAP have also joined the BJP.