Several Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs were “unreachable” today ahead of a meeting at the home of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has accused the BJP of trying to lure his party’s MLAs and topple his government.
AAP leader Dilip Pandey said the BJP “is preparing to break 40 MLAs” but projected confidence that all MLAs would attend the meeting.
“All MLAs are being contacted. Yesterday message was communicated and the MLAs with whom contact could not be established will be done and all MLAs will be present in the meeting. BJP is preparing to break 40 MLAs,” Mr Pandey said.
AAP has 62 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi assembly. The missing MLAs raised speculation that the AAP government may be in trouble. The party has accused the BJP of plotting an “Operation Lotus” to bring down its government as it has in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj yesterday accused the BJP of offering ₹ 20 crore to MLAs to “bring down” the Arvind Kejriwal government.
“BJP offered to bring down Kejriwal’s government by luring AAP MLAs with ₹ 20-20 crores… slogans of ’50 Khokha-50 Khokha’ were raised in the Maharashtra Assembly, hence I would say to the BJP, ‘band karo desh se dhokha, nahi chalega 50 khoka’,” Mr Bharadwaj told reporters.
On Monday, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had alleged an offer by the BJP to drop cases against him and make him its Chief Ministerial candidate if he switched sides.
The BJP has rubbished the charge, accusing AAP of trying to deflect attention from the corruption allegations against its government.
Mr Kejriwal’s meeting at 11 am is significant in the backdrop of CBI raids on his deputy Manish Sisodia over allegations of corruption in AAP’s now-withdrawn liquor policy. The Enforcement Directorate has also registered a money-laundering case.
Mr Sisodia was among 15 people named in an FIR filed by the CBI. Three bureaucrats, liquor barons and private individuals are also on the list.