AAP convention on Sunday, Kejriwal to raise ‘Op Lotus’ spectre

The convention will be chaired by AAP convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who will talk about strengthening the party organisation, specially ahead of the assembly elections in Gujarat.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to hold a national convention in the Capital on Sunday, with every public representative elected on the party’s ticket from across the country invited to the event.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal during a September 3 visit to the poll-bound Gujarat state. The AAP has been campaigning vigorously in the BJP-ruled state. (PTI)

The convention will be chaired by AAP convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who will talk about strengthening the party organisation “in view of the ongoing Operation Lotus by the BJP across the country”, AAP said in a statement, referring to its claims that the Bharatiya Janata Party offered bribes to its legislators in Delhi and Punjab to defect, thus weakening the AAP-led governments in these two states.

“Besides Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann will participate in the conference along with all MLAs and MPs from Delhi, Punjab and Goa. AAP’s councillors, zila panchayat members, mayors, block pramukhs, sarpanchs and pradhans, from across the country, will also join the conference,” the AAP statement said.

Apart from this, the party will discuss its expansion across the country. Issues raised by the public representatives will also be heard “so that concrete initiatives can be taken to strengthen the organisation in that state”, AAP said.

Reacting to the convention, the BJP said that the AAP’s allegations of its MLAs being poached were entirely baseless. “AAP started making the allegations immediately after CBI raided the residence of (Delhi deputy chief minister) Manish Sisodia who is involved in an excise scam because AAP wanted to divert public attention from the raids and the scam,” Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said.

Soon after the CBI raided Sisodia’s home on August 19, AAP leaders, including Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia had alleged that the BJP was trying to poach 40 of the party’s MLAs in Delhi by offering them ₹20 crore each. Days after making the allegation, Kejriwal moved a confidence motion in the Delhi assembly, which AAP won with 58 votes and zero votes against, with all eight BJP MLAs staging a walkout.

Subsequently, on Wednesday, AAP leader and Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema accompanied by 11 party legislators met Punjab director general of police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav in Chandigarh and alleged that BJP leaders were trying topple the state government by offering up to ₹25 crore each to its MLAs.