Ops Lotus: AAP leader Dilip Pandey said the BJP is “preparing to break 40 MLAs” but is confident that all the MLAs will attend the meeting.
Arvind Kejriwal’s “emergency” meeting of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs today produced a reassuring number as the party accused the BJP of offering ₹20 crore to its MLAs to topple its government in Delhi. Put it.
“BJP Tried To Poach 40 MLAs “: AAP Prays At Rajghat For ‘Ops Lotus’ Failure
In Delhi, 53 of the 62 AAP MLAs attended the meeting at the Chief Minister’s residence. AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj said the accounts of the missing were taken and promised his support over the speaker phone with Arvind Kejriwal. He said at least 12 MLAs said they have received offers from the BJP and each has promised to support Kejriwal “till his last breath”.
After the meeting, Mr Kejriwal and his MLAs went in a large group to Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial Rajghat, “to pray for the failure of the BJP’s Operation Lotus”.
“I have heard that they are trying to bribe 40 MLAs. I am happy that not a single MLA has given up,” Kejriwal told reporters.
In the morning, there were tense moments for the AAP as it tracked arrivals at the meeting and tried to contact the MLAs who were “unreachable”. “All the MLAs are being contacted. The message (of the meeting) was given yesterday and the MLAs who could not be contacted will be contacted. BJP is preparing to break 40 MLAs,” Pandey told reporters. “
AAP has 62 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi Assembly. BJP has eight and needs 28 more for majority. Under the anti-defection law, around 40 MLAs can part ways without taking any action.
AAP has accused the BJP of plotting ‘Operation Lotus’ to topple its government on the lines of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
AAP leaders claim that BJP is offering Rs 20 crore to their MLAs and Rs 25 crore if they bring more with them.
Two days after the CBI raids over alleged corruption in Delhi’s liquor policy, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was the first to make such allegations.
Mr Sisodia claimed that the BJP had offered to drop the cases against him and make him the chief minister if he switched sides. AAP has not provided any evidence or name to support the claims.
Kejriwal said, “I must have done good deeds in my past life that I have someone like Manish Sisodia. They rejected his offer. Now they (BJP) are behind the offer of money by our MLAs to join BJP. Huh.” According to him, the CBI did not find anything in the 14-hour raid on Mr. Sisodia.
The AAP chief also questioned how the BJP had Rs 800 crore to buy 40 MLAs.
BJP refuted AAP’s allegations, alleging that it was trying to divert attention from corruption in its government.
BJP’s Parvesh Verma said, “AAP is following the script of a film. These are gimmicks to evade allegations of corruption.”
Mr Sisodia is among 15 people named in the FIR registered by the CBI. Three bureaucrats, liquor baron and private person are also on the list. The Enforcement Directorate has also registered a case of money laundering.