The Delhi Assembly commenced a discussion on Saturday regarding the motion of confidence presented by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who accused the BJP of attempting to lure AAP MLAs to destabilize his government.
Initiating the deliberation, Madan Lal, the AAP's MLA from Kasturba Nagar, claimed that the BJP had been continuously striving to undermine and disrupt the functioning of the Kejriwal administration, either through the poaching of party MLAs or by interfering in its operations.
The Leader of Opposition, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, who remained the sole opposition representative in the House after the suspension of BJP members for the session, was initially absent when the discussion commenced. However, he arrived shortly afterward.
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was also in attendance in the House and is expected to address the assembly later in the day. This marks the third motion of confidence for the Kejriwal government in the past three years. The discussion unfolds amidst the AAP's assertions that the BJP aimed to fracture the party by allegedly offering money to its MLAs and orchestrating the downfall of its government in Delhi.
The previous confidence motions came in August 2022 and March 2023, amid AAP allegations that the BJP was carrying out "Operation Lotus" to poach its MLA. The AAP has an overwhelming majority in the Delhi Assembly, with 62 MLAs in the 70-member House. The opposition BJP has eight MLAs, of whom seven are currently suspended.
Tabling the motion of confidence on Friday, Kejriwal said, Two MLAs had come to me saying they were contacted by BJP members offering them Rs 25 crore each. They were told that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will be arrested and the government will be toppled.
They were also informed about alleged communication from the BJP with 21 MLAs. The BJP purportedly made several overtures to approach our MLAs under the banner of Operation Lotus. Despite these attempts, our MLAs remained steadfast, he further explained.
Kejriwal stated that the AAP conducted thorough checks with all its MLAs following these assertions, confirming that seven legislators were indeed approached, yet none succumbed to the offer. He emphasized that the BJP recognizes its electoral limitations in Delhi and resorts to various tactics to undermine the AAP government. To demonstrate the steadfastness of our MLAs, I present this resolution: 'The House expresses its trust in the Cabinet', he affirmed.