Delhi Chief Tables Confidence Motion in Assembly, BJP Calls It Political Gimmick

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured a thumping victory in the previous two Delhi Assembly elections. Out of 70 assembly seats, the AAP won 67 and 62 in 2015 and 2020 respectively. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to win three and eight seats in 2015 and 2020 respectively, while Congress failed to open its account.

Delhi chief Arvind Kejriwal tabled a confidence motion in a special session of the legislative assembly on Monday to prove that none of his party legislators have defected and that his government is "the most honest" in the country.

The motion came amid an ongoing political feud between Kejrival's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over a number of issues, including Delhi's Excise Department giving a waiver of millions of rupees to a liquor cartel on tendered license fee.

Claiming that the BJP failed to topple the AAP government in Delhi, Kejriwal said: “The confidence motion is to show that 'Operation Lotus' could have been successful in Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states but failed here in Delhi. It is also to show that every AAP lawmaker is hardcore honest.”

"Operation Lotus" is a term coined by the Indian opposition to describe what it sees as BJP attempts to remove opposition governments by luring away their lawmakers.

Alleging that the BJP has attempted to woo AAP lawmakers, Kejriwal said: “People are worried about the inflation across the country. They have stopped buying vegetables for one meal a day, and eat rotis with salt. People think inflation happens automatically. But no, it is because the federal government is imposing taxes on everything. This never happened before."

“They are not using the taxes for your development. They are putting [cash] in the pockets of their millionaire friends. Why is fuel becoming expensive? The price falls across the world, but it rises in India. This money goes to Operation Lotus. They are giving INR 200 million (around $2.5 million) to lawmakers to leave AAP and join BJP,” he claimed.

Delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal Brings a Confidence Motion in Delhi Assembly

"This confidence Motion is Important. We will assure Delhi and show the World that each and every AAP MLA and leader is Honest and can't be lured by Operation Lotus and such tactics"#ConfidentDelhi pic.twitter.com/Vk9Brq6nq4

— Dayaram Rabari 🇮🇳 (@DayaramDewasi93) August 29, 2022

The BJP has slammed Kejriwal for tabling the confidence motion as it said the AAP's sole purpose is to draw media attention and use the opportunity to engage in political propaganda.

Launching an attack on Kejriwal, the BJP's IT Cell chief Amit Malviya said in a tweet that the confidence motion is a "desperate ploy to distract from the liquor excise and education scams."

BJP IT Cell Chief Amit Malviya Slam Arvind Kejriwal on Confidence Motion

© Photo : Twitter/@amitmalviya

Slamming Kejriwal, the BJP's national spokesperson Sambit Patra said in a tweet that the state chief sought to get hours of “free advertisement” through blanket coverage in the media.

BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra Calls Kejriwal of Grabbing Media Attention Through Confidence Motion

© Photo : Twitter/@sambitswaraj

Meanwhile, the special session of the Delhi Assembly witnessed chaotic scenes in the morning after Deputy Speaker Rakhi Birla told BJP lawmakers to leave the house for the day.

The BJP and AAP have been engaged in a political squabble since the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), India’s top anti-corruption watchdog, raided 31 locations, including the residence of Delhi deputy state chief Manish Sisodia, in a case related to the now-withdrawn liquor policy brought about by the AAP government in November 2021.

The CBI alleged that the Delhi government’s liquor policy was steeped in corruption, and that Sisodia was involved in the scheme. The accusation was denied by Sisodia, as well as the AAP.

Days after the raids were conducted, Sisodia claimed that a BJP politician had sent him a message saying that all the cases against him would be closed if he left the AAP and joined the BJP.