Patidar trouble for BJP: Leader claims Rs 1 cr bribe to join party

A leader of the Hardik Patelled Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti PAAS has claimed the BJP offered him Rs 1 crore to switch loyalties a charge rubbished by Gujarats ruling partyNorth Gujarat PAAS convener Narendra Patels allegation yesterday was followed today by another PAAS member Nikhil Savani resigning from the party a few months after he joined it on grounds that it did not keep its promise to accept the Patidar communitys demandsHardik PatelIn a dramatic turn of events Narendra Patel had announced in the presence of state BJP chief Jitu Vaghani last evening that he was joining the party At about 1030 pm a couple of hours later he called a press conference to allege that he was offered Rs 1 crore to go to the ruling party but would never betray his communityReacting to the allegations the BJP claimed it was a drama staged at the behest of the CongressAll these allegations are false It was a drama enacted by Narendra Patel at the behest of Congress He voluntarily came to us to join the BJP and then took a uturn within hours It proves that everything was preplanned Gujarat BJP spokesperson Bharat Pandya said todayAt the press conference Narendra Patel showed Rs 10 lakh cash to mediapersons claiming it was given to him as advance by former PAAS leader Varun Patel who had joined the BJP on Saturday He alleged that the entire deal was brokered by VarunHe told me that I will get Rs 1 crore After meeting Vaghani at his house I was taken to the state BJP headquarters on Sunday night where I was given Rs 10 lakh as advance by Varun I was told that I will get the remaining Rs 90 lakh on Monday during a BJP function Patel allegedHe said he followed Varuns instruction and joined the BJP just to expose the party I can never betray my community The BJP cant buy me and my loyalty for the Patidar community he saidNarendra Patels accusations came a day after two of Hardik Patels key aides Varun Patel and Reshma Patel joined the BJP alleging that the quota agitation spearhead had become a Congress agent and was trying to use it to overthrow the present state governmentSavani also a PAAS convener aired his grievances with the BJPWhen I joined BJP they promised me that they will resolve all the issues of the Patel community But they had only made tall promises Savani saidNow they are trying to break the PAAS movement by offering money to its leaders Savani alleged referring to Varun Patel and Reshma Patel joining the BJPVarun Patel and Reshma Patel were among the prominent faces of the Hardik Patelled PAAS and were critical of the ruling BJP during the agitation They joined the BJP on Saturday after a meeting with Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel and state party chief Jitu Vaghani during its parliamentary board meeting which was also attended by BJP president Amit ShahLast week state Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki had invited Hardik Patel to join the partySolanki promised to give an additional 20 percent reservation to economically backward sections in the state if the Congress came to power after the upcoming assembly pollsThe Election Commission has said the state will go to polls before December 18 The BJP and Congress are pitted against each other in the crucial election