Abhishek Banerjee accuses BJP of using crores to influence vice-presidential poll
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Kolkata: Trinamool Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday accused the BJP of spending crores of rupees to secure votes in the vice-presidential election, alleging that money power was used to distort the mandate.
Speaking to reporters in Kolkata after returning from Delhi, Banerjee claimed that the BJP paid Rs 15 to 20 crore per MP to influence the outcome. “Representatives can be bought, but not the people,” he said, adding that BJP leaders “came with sacks of money” during the poll.
Maharashtra Governor and NDA nominee C P Radhakrishnan was elected as the 15th Vice President on Tuesday, securing 452 votes against Opposition candidate and former Supreme Court judge B Sudershan Reddy, who got 300. Out of 781 MPs, 767 voted, with 752 ballots declared valid. The required majority stood at 377.
Banerjee maintained that all 41 TMC MPs had voted for Reddy and pointed out that senior leaders Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Saugata Roy turned up to vote despite health issues. He questioned how the NDA tally exceeded projections while the INDIA bloc’s count fell short despite claims of support from 315 MPs. He also hinted at cross-voting in parties like AAP, alleging betrayal within the Opposition ranks.
Recalling earlier episodes, Banerjee accused the BJP of misusing money in elections and government formation. “In the 2021 Bengal assembly polls, they tried to flood the state with cash and failed. In 2024, they tried to buy polling agents, paying Rs 5,000 to some and Rs 10,000 to others. But the people of Bengal showed them that leaders can be bought, not the people. The same script they repeated in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, where governments collapsed after MLAs were poached,” he said.
The BJP dismissed the allegations. State BJP president and Rajya Sabha MP Shamik Bhattacharya called Banerjee’s claims “baseless” and said the results showed a united NDA and a divided Opposition.
Banerjee also criticized the Centre over the Supreme Court-mandated summary revision of electoral rolls, questioning its consistency. “This is the same voter list on which Prime Minister Modi was elected in 2024. If that list is invalid, then the PM, his cabinet, and the Lok Sabha stand invalid. In that case, dissolve Parliament and conduct an SIR across the country. We will support it,” he said.
On wider issues, the TMC leader accused the BJP of weaponizing laws for political ends, citing CAA, demonetization, and the farm laws, and also criticized the Centre’s handling of the Manipur crisis. He further remarked on developments in Nepal, saying the TMC supported peace and stability but would stand by the Union government’s position on matters of national security and sovereignty.