Conman Sukesh Takes Centrestage in the Political Warfare between BJP and AAP

Gujarat assembly polls are just a month away. As AAP has started to make inroads into Gujarat politics, BJP is also trying hard to check the rise of AAP. This has resulted in a series of allegations and counter-allegations by both parties. In this political game of verbal warfare, the name of a jailed conman has jumped to the center stage. This conman is none other than Sukesh Chandrasekhar, who is accused of conning and extorting money worth hundreds of crores.

Although lodged in Delhi’s Mandoli jail, Sukesh has created a political whirlwind through his letter and press releases. Jailed conman alleged that he was forced to pay Rs 10 crore ‘protection money’ to Delhi minister Satyendra Jain. In his letter to Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, he claimed that he had paid more than 50 crore to AAP to get an important post in the party as well as a Rajya Sabha seat.

BJP used this letter of Sukesh as a major weapon to counter AAP. But AAP chief Aravind Kejriwal termed allegations of Sukesh to be an eyewash attempt by the BJP to deflect attention from Gujarat’s Morbi Bridge tragedy that claimed 135 lives. Kejriwal alleged that the BJP had used a conman to plant fake news as it was struggling to face AAP in Gujarat.

The matter did not end here. Today the jailed conman wrote another public letter in which he claimed that he is facing threats from AAP leader Satyendra Jain. He again reiterated that he has paid crores of rupees to AAP. “Mr Kejriwal, I am the country’s ‘biggest thug’ according to you. Then why did you receive Rs 50 crore from me and offer me Rajya Sabha seat? What does that make you- ‘maha thug’?” he wrote in this letter.

BJP leaders again termed this letter as an example of the ‘true face’ of the AAP. Several AAP leaders including Kejriwal countered it by reiterating that the BJP is behind the letters of conman Sukesh. According to AAP leaders through these letters, BJP is only trying to save its face in the coming Gujarat assembly polls and Delhi municipal elections. The AAP boss even said, “I am hearing now that in the next few weeks a criminal called Sukesh Chandrasekhar will be joining BJP”.