Congress leader and former Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) MA Vaheed has alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ‘offered favours’ to persuade him to quit Congress and join the BJP. MA Vaheed, former MLA of Kazhakootam in Thiruvananthapuram district, on Sunday said that a ‘BJP agent’ approached him, offering Assembly candidature and money. The allegation comes even as BJP’s state President K Surendran told the media that many Congress leaders will join BJP from all districts.
“I was offered candidature from anywhere I want. I was also told that crores of money, as per my demand, will be given for election campaigning,” MA Vaheed told Mathrubhumi News.
The former MLA also added that he has denied the alleged offer. Vaheed stated that though there are problems within the party, he will never turn against Congress.
“Only once have I stood against the party, during the 2001 election. I am still guilty about that, I don’t want to be guilty again. So I told them (BJP) not to come to me again asking this. No one has come to me after this one time,” said Vaheed.
He also stated that the person who approached him is not a famous BJP leader but is an ‘agent’ of the party.
Vaheed also alleged that BJP is working against many Congress leaders and is trying to bring them into the party. “Only Vijayan Thomas has fallen for them (BJP),” he said. Vijayan Thomas, former general secretary of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC), recently joined BJP at an event held in New Delhi.
Notably, another former Congress MLA T Saratchandra Prasad in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday denied allegations that he was going to join BJP. Talking to the media Saratchandra Prasad emotionally stated that his “blood is for Congress.”
Watch video of Vaheed raising allegation:
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