Ahmed Patel was mastermind behind cash-for-vote scam: Gadkari

“After the revelations of Wikileaks, it became clear that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi saved their government during the nuclear deal by purchasing 19 MPs,” Gadkari said at a press conference at the party office here.

He further said: “I allege that Sonia Gandhi’s advisor Ahmad Patel is the mastermind of cash-for-vote scam.” After Delhi High Court has given bail to two former MPs -- Faggan Singh Kulaste, Mahabir Singh Bhagora -- and Sudheendra Kulkarni, ex-advisor to former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the prime minister (Manmohan Singh) and Sonia Gandhi "should apologise to the nation for the political conspiracy", the BJP national president said.

“Let the people of India know who are behind this political conspiracy,” he demanded. Gadkari said the court like the BJP also found that all the three accused have been implicated in the case. The BJP president added that his party will felicitate the three Saturday.

On July 22, 2008, MP Ashok Argal, Kulaste and Bhagora waved wads of currency notes in the Lok Sabha just hours ahead of a trust vote, alleging they were given the money to vote in favour of the Manmohan Singh government.

Kulkarni has been charged as co-conspirator and master-minding the entire event along with former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, who was earlier granted bail.