‘Sting’ audio clip stings AAP Jamshedpur candidate

Ranchi: Aam Admi Party (AAP)’s suspended its Jamshedpur candidate and RTI activist Dinesh Mahato late on Wednesday after a purported audio clip of him agreeing to take money in exchange of campaigning in certain areas to influence voters against a certain political party reached the party’s senior leadership. In the audio clip, which is in Bengali, a person, reported to be Mahato, agrees to take Rs 50 lakh in exchange of campaigning in some areas under Jamshedpur Lok Sabha constituency.
AAP’s Jharkhand secretary Rajan Kumar Singh said, “Prima facie, it appears that the voice in the audio clip is that of Mahato. It is shocking for us to find out that a party member associated with us for four years has betrayed our trust. Mahato has been suspended from the party till the veracity of the clip is verified by an internal investigation committee.”

Meanwhile on Thursday, Mahato refused to respond to the party officials after he was issued a show-cause notice. “He is refusing to take our calls or even report to the investigation committee set up by the party,” said Rajesh Verma, spokesperson for AAP’s Jharkhand unit.

The party announced the candidature of Dinesh Mahato from Jamshedpur against BJP’s sitting MP Bidyut Baran Mahato on March 30. Mahato contested from Jamshedpur as an independent candidate in the 2014 elections, garnering a mere 5,300 votes.

“The internal investigation committee has taken cognisance of his absence and has recommended his removal from the party with immediate effect. We have also written to the party’s central political affairs committee and state convener Jaishankar Choudhary regarding the same,” Verma added.