Horse trading allegations by BJP, show cause notice to MLA Sher Singh Dagar

NEW DELHI: As it prepares to form a government in Delhi, the BJP today faced severe embarrassment with the Aam Aadmi Party alleging that a senior leader of the saffron party's city unit offered a bribe of Rs 4 crore to one of its MLAs for switching sides.

The BJP and its Delhi unit Vice President Sher Singh Dagar, accused of offering the bribe, first dismissed the charge but the party was later forced to issue a show cause notice to him seeking his explanation.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal claimed at a press conference that his party MLA from Sangam Vihar Dinesh Mohania was offered the bribe by Singh at his residence yesterday. He played a video clip of the sting operation in which Dagar purportedly made the bribe offer.

The former chief minister said the party will submit the "raw footage" of the "sting operation" to the Supreme Court tomorrow and will also approach the Election Commission on BJP's "misdeeds".

"The BJP has been approaching our MLAs to make them switch sides by luring them with money and other offers. This time they offered AAP MLA Dinesh Mohania Rs 4 crore. They also told him that he could contest election on a BJP ticket and even if he loses, he will be given chairmanship of any government run board.

"If the BJP has the numbers then they should if they can form the government. Under any circumstances, we are not going to allow the BJP to form the government by using illegal means," Kejriwal said.