Gujarat: Patidar movement leader claims BJP offered Rs 1 crore to switch parties

Narendra Patel, a convenor of Hardik Patel’s Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti, has alleged that the BJP had offered him Rs 1 crore for crossing over to the BJP. Narendra had joined the BJP on October 22 in the presence of Hardik Patel’s former aide Varun Patel, who had switched to the BJP the day before.

Patel made these claims public in a late night press conference in Ahmedabad, only hours after he crossed over.  Patel had joined the BJP on October 22 in the presence of Hardik Patel’s former aide Varun Patel, who had switched to the BJP the day before.

Spreading out bundles of Rs 500 notes worth Rs 10 lakh before the media, he claimed that it was the “advance” he had received from the BJP. Narendra also alleged that Varun Patel had taken him to meet the party’s state president Jitubhai Vaghani and had offered him the “token” cash.

“Varun took me around in Gandhinagar and then took me to Shree Kamalam office of the BJP and introduced me to Jitubhai Vaghani and some ministers. He then took me to a room and handed over a bag of Rs 10 lakh cash as token and promised to pay me Rs 90 lakh tomorrow after a party function which I was required to attend,” he was quoted as saying.

Narendra also claimed that he took the cash only to expose the Bharatiya Janata Party in front of the media.