Won’t Let BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ Succeed In Maharashtra: Congress

Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday said that his party was alert this time and won’t let BJP’s “Operation Lotus” succeed in Maharashtra after President’s rule was imposed in the state. “We are alert about ‘Operation lotus’,” he said.

"Operation Kamala (Lotus)” is a term coined in 2008, when former minister G Janardhana Reddy used a method to secure support from legislators bypassing the Anti-Defection Law to take BJP past the majority number. It is an alleged BJP strategy to come to power in states where it doesn't have enough seats to form the government "influencing" opposition MLAs.

As President’s rule was imposed in the state on Tuesday, the Congress and NCP are in talks about whether to support the Shiv Sena for government formation. Chavan, a former chief minister, alleged while speaking to a news channel that the BJP was trying to stop the Sena from joining hands with the Congress and NCP.

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He was referring to BJP leader Narayan Rane’s statement that former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had asked Rane to start work on forming a BJP-led government in the state.

Rane had said he would do “whatever it takes” to ensure his party formed the next government. Chavan said the Congress was holding internal meetings and also holding talks with the NCP to work out a possible Common Minimum Programme if a government was to be formed with the Sena.