Delhi CM Kejriwal, AAP's Atishi Served Notices Over MLA Poaching Allegations

The Aam Aadmi Party had alleged last week that the BJP was launching Operation Lotus 2.0 in Delhi.

Gautam Gambhir on Thursday, 9 May, sent a defamation notice to Aam Aadmi Party’s Atishi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint)

The Delhi Police on Sunday, 4 February, landed at the doorstep of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi Marlena in the wake of the party's allegations that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was trying to destabilise the Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government.

Officials from the Delhi Police's Crime Branch were there to serve a notice to the Delhi minister over her allegation that the BJP was "trying to buy AAP MLAs," according to a report by news agency ANI.

A day prior, the Delhi Police had also visited the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

“Their (police's) political bosses are asking me which AAP MLA they (BJP) tried to break? But don't you know more than me…don't you know everything? Don't you know how, besides Delhi, MLAs from various parties were poached to topple (opposition-led state) governments, in the past few years? Then why this drama?” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had posted on X on Saturday, 3 February.

On 27 January, Kejriwal had accused the BJP of offering Rs 25 crore to each of its seven MLAs in an attempt to topple the Delhi government, according to a report by Hindustan Times.

The allegations of the BJP launching "Operation Lotus 2.0" were reportedly reiterated by Delhi Minister Atishi in a press conference held at the party's headquarters last week.

BJP Files Police Complaint Seeking Probe

On 30 January, BJP leaders including Ramvir Singh Bidhuri and Manoj Tiwari filed a complaint asking the Delhi Police to probe the MLA poaching allegations levelled by AAP.

"Till now Atishi & Arvind Kejriwal were saying that we have proof & seven of our MLAs are being poached. Now the Delhi Police has been asking for proof & Crime Branch went to the residence of Arvind Kejriwal, and he ran away. Now when the Crime Branch went to the residence of Atishi, she was missing..." BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa was quoted as saying by ANI.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has moved court against Delhi CM Kejriwal after he reportedly ignored summons issued against him for the fifth time.

The ED had summoned Kejriwal for questioning in connection with the alleged Delhi excise policy liquor scam.

(Parts of this article were generated by AI and published after the content was editorially modified and verified by a human based on their own judgement and expertise. The Quint does not publish AI-generated content without direct human involvement and oversight.)