Operation Lotus fears? Kejriwal to meet Punjab AAP MLAs amid exodus buzz

In an apparent bid to keep their flock united and avert any ripple effect of the Delhi poll debacle, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and party MLAs from the state in the national capital on Tuesday (February 11). However, the party sources said the meeting has been called to discuss the Delhi Assembly polls outcome.

The meeting follows claims of Punjab Congress leaders that they are in contact with nearly 30 AAP MLAs. The AAP has in the past also accused the BJP of trying to poach its MLAs as part of “Operation Lotus” in the state.

Also read: Out of power, AAP to have tough time fighting legal battles, keeping its flock united

Focus on Punjab

The party legislators have been asked to cancel their engagements on Tuesday and attend the meeting at Kapurthala House, the official residence of Punjab Chief Minister when he visits the national capital.

After camping in Delhi for the past three days, Chief Minister Mann reached Chandigarh on Monday. However, the Punjab Cabinet meeting scheduled for Monday was postponed to February 13. The meeting — the first in four months — was initially slated for February 6, but was later rescheduled for February 10.

Now, the focus of the party high command seems to have shifted to Punjab, the only state ruled by AAP in the country after the party’s rout in Delhi, where the BJP is set to form the government after a gap of more than 26 years. Though the party claims that the meeting will witness deliberations on the Delhi poll verdict, media reports suggest that Kejriwal may deliver a “pep talk” to the party legislators, asking them to reconnect with the voter as “aam aadmi” in their respective constituencies and not get swayed by the “benefits that come with power”.

Kejriwal as Punjab CM?

The speculations about the exodus of AAP MLAs gathered pace following Leader of Opposition and senior Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa’s claim that he has been “in touch with AAP MLAs” for a long time. “The AAP legislators have realised that this was a one-way ticket to the moon, and they are not coming back,” he claimed.

Bajwa didn’t stop here and went on to claim that Kejriwal is now eyeing the chief minister’s post in Punjab. “In this context, it is important to refer to a recent statement made by the state president of AAP in Punjab, Aman Arora, who said that a Hindu could also be CM of Punjab and that the person occupying CM’s office should be capable and should not be seen in the prism of Hindu or Sikh. Coming just before the election results in Delhi, this is an important indication of how the AAP leadership is paving the way for Kejriwal to occupy the CM’s chair in Punjab. A Vidhan Sabha seat in Ludhiana is already vacant after the demise of the sitting AAP MLA and it will be convenient for Kejriwal to fight a bypoll,” Bajwa told The Indian Express.

Bajwa also predicted that there will be an internal feud in the AAP’s Punjab unit with CM Mann and his aides pitted against the Delhi leadership of AAP in a power struggle. “There may be widespread defections amongst AAP MLAs in Punjab,” he said.

Congress eyes revival

Not surprisingly, the Congress has sensed an opportunity to revive the fledgling political fortunes of the party in the border state following the AAP’s drubbing in Delhi Assembly polls.

Party insiders said the Congress may encourage defections from AAP, especially if its loss in Delhi led to internal dissent. This could create a prospect for the Congress to regain ground in the state, as it’s a known fact that AAP’s rise in Punjab has often come at the expense of the grand old party’s voter base.

Also read: ‘Don’t blame us’, says Cong as another poll goes wrong for INDIA allies

In the coming days, the Punjab Congress could step up its grassroots efforts, focusing on rural and urban voters by addressing local issues such as agriculture, unemployment, and drug abuse, which are significant in Punjab.

AAP govt on target

The Congress would now also escalate attack on the AAP government in Punjab, targeting it on issues like unfulfilled promises, law and order, and economic woes, to portray the AAP as ineffective.

The AAP stormed to power in Punjab in 2022 by winning 92 seats in the 117-member House. However, three years down the line, the party isn’t in a good shape, which also reflected in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as AAP managed to win only 3 out of 13 Lok Sabha seats, while the Congress managed to grab 7.