BJP offered Rs 800 cr to 40 MLAs, alleges AAP; Kejriwal dubs 'Operation Lotus' a failure

Scaling up the fight, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Thursday alleged that BJP offered a total of Rs 800 crore to 40 of its MLAs to switch sides after a show of strength accounting for all its 62 lawmakers amid speculation that around a dozen of them were untraceable.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal questioned the source of BJP's money allegedly offered to its MLAs — Rs 20 crore each for 40 lawmakers — and then took his MLAs to Rajghat to pray for the failure of the BJP's "Operation Lotus".

Also Read | BJP offered Rs 20 crore each to 4 MLAs to switch sides: AAP MP Sanjay Singh

The day started on a dramatic note amid reports that the AAP leadership was unable to get in touch with 10-12 MLAs before a meeting called by Kejriwal. Speculation heightened as only 53 of 62 lawmakers drove to the meeting venue.

Soon after the meeting, AAP made it clear that seven of its MLAs, including Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, were out of town or could not attend the meeting for various reasons. Speaker Ram Niwas Goel was out of the country and Satyendar Jain is in jail, the party clarified accounting for all of its lawmakers. Kejriwal spoke to six MLAs, barring Sisodia and Goel, on a phone call “on loudspeaker in front of everyone".

"They (BJP) offered Rs 20 crore each to our MLAs. They have kept Rs 800 crore for toppling the Delhi government. But the citizens of the country want to know about the source of this money. Is it from GST or the PM CARES Fund? Have some of their friends given them this money?" Kejriwal asked.

BJP leaders have dismissed the "poaching" claim, terming it a "public stunt" by AAP with Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari alleging that the AAP is trying to divert people's attention and questioned Kejriwal's "silence" over the Delhi excise policy.

Kejriwal said he is lucky to have Sisodia, who has no greed for the Chief Minister's post and AAP MLAs will rather die than get sold out.

"A day after the raids, they sent a message to Sisodia that you leave Kejriwal, get some MLAs and come to us. We will topple the Delhi government and close the CBI, ED cases against you. I think I would have done some good deeds in my past life that I have got a companion like Sisodia. They were offering him the chief minister's post but he refused. He rejected their offer," he claimed.

AAP chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj 12 MLAs were contacted by the BJP to switch sides but they told them they are with the AAP. The BJP was targeting 40 AAP MLAs with an offer of Rs 20 crore each to switch sides, he added.

Countering the AAP, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said his party has been consistently asking AAP to come clean on its excise policy.

The fact that AAP MLAs have gone to Rajghat means they have definitely committed an act that is to be considered a sin. So, in order to purify it, the BJP workers will sprinkle Ganga Jal on the Samadhi. The BJP is asking pointed questions. However, the AAP is beating around the bush and evading the questions," he added.