TMC Leader Alleges BJP Candidate Attempted to Bribe for By-Poll Support

TMC's Kunal Ghosh claims BJP's Kalyan Choubey offered bribes for support in the Maniktala Assembly by-polls. Ghosh asserts Choubey offered positions at state or national levels. Choubey denies the allegations, stating their conversation was a courtesy call and Ghosh expressed interest in joining BJP.

In a startling revelation, TMS leader Kunal Ghosh alleged that BJP candidate from the Maniktala Assembly by-polls, Kalyan Choubey, attempted to bribe him into supporting his campaign. Ghosh disclosed that Choubey offered him positions at either the state or national level in exchange for his endorsement.

Ghosh, who serves as the convenor of the core committee for the Maniktala by-election, claimed that Choubey made the offer during a late-night conversation on July 7. Ghosh stated, 'The campaign has ended, and the BJP candidate Kalyan Choubey has realized he is losing. He approached me at 11:30 PM, offering to accommodate me at higher levels. This is essentially a bribe.'

On the other hand, Choubey has outrightly denied these allegations. He contended that Ghosh had previously shown interest in joining the BJP and described their interaction as a mere courtesy call. Choubey asserted, 'It's not true; the claims are fabricated. Ghosh had expressed a desire to join the BJP multiple times since 2018. Our recent conversation was casual, and I mentioned he could support me for an easy win.'

(With inputs from agencies.)