Bribe or Conspiracy? BAP’s Rising Power Unnerves BJP— MLA Jaikrishna Patel Framed, Claims Party

Jaipur- In a historic first for Rajasthan, a sitting MLA has been arrested on charges of accepting a bribe. Jaikrishna Patel, a legislator from the Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) representing Bagidora (Banswara), was nabbed by the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly taking a ₹20 lakh bribe. The operation took place on Sunday at the MLA quarters in Jyoti Nagar, Jaipur.

ACB Director General Ravi Prakash Meherda provided details of the case in a press conference. However, BAP has labeled the action a political conspiracy orchestrated by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to curb the party’s growing influence, raising serious questions about the ACB’s motives.

Meanwhile, Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani, commenting on the case said, it is unfortunate for any legislator to be caught in such a manner. He stated that the law will take its course, but such situations should not arise, regardless of the MLA’s party affiliation, as being trapped is painful. He added that the situation will become clearer after the investigation.

In a press conference, ACB Director General Ravi Prakash Meherda revealed that Jaikrishna Patel had demanded ₹2.5 crore from a mining company owner to withdraw questions raised in the state assembly. Initially, the MLA had sought ₹10 crore, but negotiations brought the amount down to ₹2.5 crore. Meherda stated, “We received a complaint on April 4 regarding this matter. The complainant informed us that the MLA was demanding a bribe to drop assembly questions related to mining operations.”

Meherda explained that the ACB verified the complaint and planned a trap operation. On Sunday morning, the MLA summoned the complainant to his quarters in Jaipur. The ACB had obtained prior permission from Assembly Speaker Vasudev Devnani and Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, who also heads the Home Department. “The complainant handed over ₹20 lakh in cash to the MLA, after which our team caught him red-handed,” Meherda said. “The MLA passed the cash to an associate, who fled the scene. We are searching for this individual.”

Meherda claimed the ACB has audio and video evidence proving the bribe demand and transaction. He added, “A chemical test on the MLA’s hands confirmed contact with the marked currency. This is the first time in Rajasthan’s history that a sitting MLA has been arrested in a bribery case.”

The ACB has taken Jaikrishna Patel to its headquarters in Jhalana Doongri, Jaipur, for questioning. Meherda said the MLA is being interrogated about his associate who fled with the cash. The ACB had placed several of the MLA’s phone numbers and his gunman’s number under surveillance. “We have sufficient evidence, and we will take strict action in this case,” Meherda affirmed.

BAP’s Rebuttal: Accusing BJP of a Political Plot

The BAP has dismissed the ACB’s action as a conspiracy by the BJP to undermine its rising influence. Party spokesperson Dr. Jitendra Meena, in a fiery statement, alleged that the arrest was a deliberate attempt to halt BAP’s growth. “The BJP is losing ground in the tribal areas of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat,” Meena said. “In just one-and-a-half years, BAP has emerged as Rajasthan’s third-largest party. This political plot was hatched to stop us.”

Meena questioned the credibility of the complainant, Ravindra Singh, stating, “The person accusing our MLA of bribery is someone whose father contested the Todabhim assembly election on a BJP ticket, and he himself ran from Karauli. Would an opposition MLA, elected just eight months ago, take a bribe from such a person?”

BAP’s Questions on ACB’s Actions

BAP has raised several doubts about the fairness of the ACB’s operation. Jitendra Meena asserted, “The ACB’s actions are highly questionable.” He listed the following points:

1. Did the MLA take the money? No.

2. Was the money found in the MLA’s possession? No.

3. Was the money recovered from the MLA’s residence? No.

4. Was the money found in the MLA’s vehicle? No.

5. Was any cash recovered at all? No.

6. The question was already asked: The assembly question in question had already been raised. Why would anyone pay a bribe for it?

7. Was the Assembly Speaker’s permission obtained? Was written consent from the Speaker secured before the MLA’s arrest?

8. Source of the complainant’s cash? Was the complainant asked where he obtained such a large sum of money?

Meena highlighted that recently, the Rajasthan High Court had disqualified BJP MLA Kanwarlal Meena from Anta (Baran), yet the Assembly Speaker had not removed him. In contrast, Jaikrishna Patel was arrested without a written order. “This entire game was played by the BJP using the ACB as a front, but we will not bow down,” Meena declared.

BAP alleged that the conspiracy involves a BJP Lok Sabha candidate from southern Rajasthan and an assembly election candidate from eastern Rajasthan. Meena vowed, “We are neither scared nor will we be. We stand firmly with our MLA Jaikrishna Patel. Wait until tomorrow—we will expose the names of all the conspirators.”

The party emphasized that Jaikrishna Patel has long been a vocal advocate against corruption. He had protested outside the assembly, demanding an ACB probe into the TAD food grain scam and the arrest of those involved. Meena said, “On one hand, our MLA was fighting corruption; on the other, he’s being framed in a bribery case. This is the irony.”

Patel's Political Journey

Jaikrishna Patel was elected as an MLA from Bagidora in Banswara district for the first time in a 2024 by-election. The seat fell vacant after Congress MLA Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya resigned to join the BJP. In the bypoll, Patel defeated BJP’s Subhash Tambolia by a margin of 1,22,573 votes. With four MLAs in Rajasthan’s 200-member assembly, BAP has rapidly gained traction in the tribal-dominated southern regions of the state.