Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal secured victory on Saturday in the confidence motion he presented in the AAP-dominated Delhi Assembly. A total of 54 AAP MLAs present in the House voted in favor of the motion, showcasing Kejriwal’s strength amidst his allegations of BJP attempts to lure AAP legislators and destabilize his government.
Presenting the motion on 16th February 2024, Kejriwal described it as a strategic move while accusing the BJP of offering Rs 25 crore to seven AAP MLAs to defect. The aim behind the motion, he asserted, was to expose the failure of the BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ in Delhi. Kejriwal emphasized that none of their MLAs had defected and all remained loyal to the AAP.
In the 70-member Delhi Assembly, the AAP holds 62 seats. Of the 54 AAP MLAs present during the vote, all voted in favor of Kejriwal’s trust motion. Seven BJP MLAs were suspended on Friday for causing disruption, leaving Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, the Leader of Opposition, as the sole BJP MLA present during the discussion, with his dissenting voice.
During the discussion, Kejriwal criticized the BJP for allegedly attempting to manipulate bureaucrats, offering bribes to AAP MLAs, and plotting his arrest to topple the government. He also outlined the AAP’s campaign agenda against the BJP for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, emphasizing that the party does not currently hold any seats in Delhi’s parliamentary representation.
Kejriwal urged his party MLAs to address citizens about BJP’s alleged conspiracy to dissolve the Delhi Assembly, dismissing it as a ploy to undermine the power of their votes.
