'Heavy BJP machinery' made MCD polls toughest election contested by AAP: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said the "heavy BJP machinery" deployed during campaigning made the MCD polls the toughest election contested by the Aam Aadmi Party so far and accused the party of trying to "buy" AAP councillors.

Addressing the newly elected councillors, Kejriwal claimed that the BJP has started telephoning the AAP councillors and offering them up to Rs 20 lakh.

"This election was very very tough. A few people say it was an easy election, but it was not. The way they conspired against us and the way they used state machinery against us, it was the toughest elections we ever contested," Kejriwal claimed.

"Heavy BJP machinery deployed during campaigning made MCD poll the toughest election contested by the AAP so far," he added.

Referring to the purported videos of jailed minister Satyender Jain, the chief minister said the BJP pressured the media to spread "propaganda against us".

"They will try to buy you. They have started calling the councillors. Somebody is being offered Rs 10 lakh and some Rs 20 lakh. They are asking them (councillors) to vote in our favour," the AAP supremo said.

"I am completely sure no one from you will fall for their offer. However, we need to expose them. Put your phone on recording and whenever there is a call from them, record it," he added.

"Despite all the tricks", Kejriwal said the BJP "could not breach AAP's reputation" earned through work done and trust.

"Despite their propaganda, the people voted for us in the MCD. It means people trust what we did and earned in the last few years. The BJP thought people are gullible but the public is not gullible they were not taken in by the BJP propaganda," he added.

The AAP does positive politics and talks about its work unlike the BJP which "spread fake videos and letters" of a jailed conman, he claimed.

Several purported videos of Jain meeting visitors and the jail superintendent, eating fruits and vegetables and getting massages in his prison cell have gone viral, giving ammunition to the BJP to attack the AAP. Earlier, jailed conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar wrote to the Delhi Lt. Governor alleging that AAP leader Jain "extorted" Rs 10 crore from him in 2019 to ensure his safety in prison, his lawyer said on Tuesday.

"We do positive politics and talk about our work. The BJP through fake videos and letters of a jailed conman did not allow us to discuss our work narrative," Kejriwal said.

"Moreover, the way they pressured the media, they scolded the media and twisted its arm, they ran a misinformation campaign against us. There was a new fake video every morning at 9 o'clock," he alleged.

The AAP on Wednesday wrested power from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the high-stakes civic polls in the national capital. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party bagged 134 of the 250 wards while the BJP won 104.