Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has accused party’s outgoing Rajya Sabha member Akhilesh Das of offering her a bribe of Rs100 crore to seek BSP’s re-nomination for the Upper House from Uttar Pradesh. Das, who quit the BSP two days back, has not only denied the charge but also accused Mayawati of “selling” party tickets.
“Akhilesh Das came to my Delhi residence on October 21 and said he is ready to give anything between Rs50 and Rs100 crore in the party fund for getting a RS berth. But I told him that even if he gave Rs200 crore, I would not give him the ticket,” Maywati told reporters on Wednesday.
She was responding to queries on the reasons behind Das’ resignation from the party. Akhilesh Das had resigned from all posts, including that of general secretary, Monday after he was denied the RS ticket by the BSP.“Akhilesh Das said this money could be used for the party in the Assembly elections in other States. But I rejected his offer which was against the ideology of the BSP,” she said.
Returning to its Dalit agenda, Mayawati also announced the names of two candidates for the Rajya Sabha, giving both tickets to Dalits.They are Rajaram of Azamgarh and Veer Singh, an advocate from Moradabad. Both the candidates are sitting members of the Rajya Sabha.
While Rajaram is in-charge of the party in four States, Singh is in-charge of the party in three States. “Both the candidates are core BSP members and are working for the party hence they deserve the RS berth,” she added.Slamming Das, the BSP chief pointed out how he had similarly backstabbed the Congress. “At the time of joining the BSP, he made serious charges against Rahul Gandhi and assured me that he will connect Vaishya Samaj with the BSP. But he was busy in extending his business only. He did not even attend the Rajya Sabha sessions regularly,” she said.
She claimed that her party takes small donations from the party supporters to contest elections, hence the offer of any businessman or trader was never accepted.Reacting to Mayawati’s allegations Das said, “Since the talk is between two of us, I would not argue who is telling the truth, but everyone knows about the greed of the BSP supremo while distributing party tickets.”
“Everyone in the BSP and even the media know that Mayawati took money for lok Sabha and Assembly tickets. The rate is Rs 1 crore for general candidate and Rs50 lakh for reserved,” alleged Das asking the media to cross-check it with any BSP coordinators or senior leaders.Further charging the BSP president of insulting the party leaders from time to time, he claimed that if such things continue then in 2017 Assembly polls, the party will have to bite the bullet like it did in the 2014 lok Sabha elections.