Mayawati says Das offered ` 100 cr for Rajya Sabha ticket

COUNTER CHARGE MP accuses her of selling Lok Sabha and upper house tickets

A war of words has broken out between BSP chief Mayawati and party ex-member Akhilesh Das over Rajya Sabha seat nomination with the former saying the MP offered Rs 100 crore for an upper house seat and the latter accusing her of selling Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha tickets.

Talking to the media persons here on Wednesday, Mayawati said, “Das met me at my residence in Lucknow as well as in New Delhi. He pleaded for a Rajya Sabha ticket and offered Rs 100 crore for the party coffer. Rejecting his proposal, I told him rather than money I would prefer that the candidate be committed to the ideology of the party. Das insisted and said I need money to run the party. I told him that the party was managing its affairs with donation by BSP workers and I do not need assistance of a businessman to run the party.”

“Recently, the BSP contested assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra. I urged party workers to contribute for election campaign. There was a good response from the workers and the party contested in both the states. When Das quit Congress and joined the BSP in 2008, he made serious charges against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. He told me that he would strengthen the base of the party among Vaishya community. I believed him and sent him to the upper house,” she said. “Das failed to accomplish the task given to him,” Mayawati said and added: “Party leaders told me that Das was busy with his business and raising money. I have now given tickets to committed partymen,” she said.

Reacting to Mayawati’s allegations, Das said, “I tendered my resignation from primary membership of BSP on November 3. The allegation made by her that I offered Rs 100 crore for Rajya Sabha ticket is baseless.”

“I joined BSP on the request of the party chief. She urged me to contest the 2009 Lok Sabha election from Lucknow on BSP ticket. Though I lost the election, I still polled 25% vote whereas the base vote of BSP in the city is hardly 5%.”

Several Vaishya community leaders, including Nand Gopal Gupta alias Nandi, Sandeep Bansal, Banwari Lal Kanchal and Sudhir Halwasiya joined the BSP, he said.

He added that Mayawati humiliated and expelled them from the party.

“I have been Rajya Sabha member for the last 18 years and am hardly enthusiastic about membership of the upper house. I am chancellor of BBD University, president of Indian Badminton Association and vice president of Indian Olympic Association,” he claimed.