The Aam Aadmi Party has spent Rs 45 crore on the election in Goa and there is enough evidence that party chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was involved in money laundering, the Enforcement Directorate told the Delhi High Court today, hours after the Supreme Court remarked on its failure to produce evidence of a money trail and gave bail to senior party leader Sanjay Singh. AAP rubbed in the top court’s comments, calling the agency’s allegation a “lie”.

“The ED just lies. The Supreme Court said no money trail was found, and no money was found. The ED could not provide a shred of evidence in the Supreme Court. It is working at the behest of BJP, which wants to topple Delhi government at any cost,” read a rough translation of AAP’s statement in Hindi.

This is the first time the Central investigation agency made its allegations on Goa official, including it in its response to Mr Kejriwal’s challenge to his arrest.

Along with challenging his arrest in the case, Mr Kejriwal has also demanded release as interim relief. The matter would be heard by the court tomorrow.

Calling AAP the “major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the Delhi Liquor Scam”, the ED claimed, “Part of the proceeds of crime to the tune of cash of Rs. 45 crore approx. has been utilised in the election campaign of AAP in Goa Assembly elections 2022”.

The agency also questioned Mr Kejriwal’s objections, arguing that he has waived his right to question his detention today, and cannot now be allowed to argue that it is illegal.

Moreover, proper procedures under Section 16 of PMLA and Article 22 of the Constitution were strictly followed during his arrest, the agency has claimed.

The section empowers the ED to arrest anyone on basis of material in their possession that indicate s/he has committed an offence punishable under law. The agency is allowed to record its reasons for such belief in writing, with the grounds of arrest to be communicated to the accused “as soon as may be”.

In his plea, Mr Kejriwal has said that he was arrested by ED despite the fact that they do not have any material in possession that may lead to a belief of his guilt. The provisions of PMLA are being used to persecute and destroy the fabric of the democratic and federal structures, he said. “The attempt is to decimate a political party and topple an elected government of the NCT of Delhi,” the plea read.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court gave bail to senior AAP leader Sanjay Singh, asking why he had been jailed for over six months without a trial or recovery of alleged bribe of Rs 2 crore.

The judges questioned the lack of evidence to support ED’s claim that the party received Rs 600 crore in bribe. “Nothing has been recovered… there is no trace (of money allegedly received by the AAP as bribes for allotting liquor licences to the ‘South Group’),” the judges said.

“The court asked where the money trail was. A search for that money trail has been on for the last two years. Today, when the court asked, the Enforcement Directorate had no answer,” Delhi minister and senior AAP leader Atishi told reporters after Sanjay Singh got bail.

Former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi has been witnessing an exodus following its defeat in last year’s assembly election. In the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls, more than 10 senior leaders have switched sides.

More than 10 names on the BJP list are former members of the BRS. Among them are former BRS minister Eatala Rajender. A candidate from Malkajgiri, he joined the BJP in June 2021 after he was thrown out of the BRS.

But while he has been in the party for a while, many others made the switch and within hours, were nominated by the BJP.

Zaheerabad sitting MP was from BRS, quit and within hours became the BJP candidate. Bharat, son of BRS MP Ramulu was fielded from Nagarkurnool, within hours of the father and son switching parties. Aroori Ramesh was made the Warangal BJP candidate in the same way.

The Congress has been welcoming BRS leaders in a similar manner. Chevella MP Ranjith Reddy who won as the BRS candidate is now representing the Congress from the same seat.

Danam Nagender who won as BRS MLA from Khairatabad in the November 30 elections, has been fielded from Secunderabad by the Congress. The wife of former BRS minister Patnam Mahender Reddy, Sunita Mahender Reddy, who was the Vikarabad zilla parishad chairperson with the BRS, is now the Congress’s Malkajgiri candidate.
 
Kadiyam Kavya, whom BRS gave ticket for Warangal, has moved to the Congress and has been fielded from the same seat. Her father Kadiyam Srihari was also elected as BRS MLA in the November 30 assembly election.

Two other key leaders of BRS — Peddapalli MP Venkatesh Netha moved to Congress but have not been given ticket. Warangal MP Pasunuri Dayakar has also switched to the Congress but has not been fielded by the party.

In 2019, nine of the 17 Lok Sabha seats of the state had gone to Mr Rao’s party, four to the BJP, three to the Congress and one to Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM.

Back then, Mr Rao’s party, still called the Telangana Rashtra Samithi or TRS, dominated, given his status as the father of the statehood movement.

The slide of the party started after its change of name – a focus from state issues to national aspirations of the leader did not go down well with the electorate, many in the party had privately admitted.

Added to it were the corruption allegations, including the alleged involvement of Mr Rao’s daughter K Kavitha in the Delhi liquor case.

The Dumka Lok Sabha seat in Jharkhand, represented several times by JMM patriarch Shibu Soren, could see an interesting battle involving his two family members in the upcoming elections. Former Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren, who is currently in jail following his arrest by ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam, could be fielded against his estranged sister-in-law Sita Soren, who is the BJP candidate in Dumka constituency.