Published 18:00 IST, November 13th 2019
Congress alert on 'Operation Lotus' in Maharashtra, says Prithviraj Chavan
Congress senior leader Prithviraj Chavan said that the party was vigilant to prevent a possible "Operation Lotus"-- the attempts by BJP to engineer defections
Senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan said that the party was vigilant to prevent a possible "Operation Lotus"-- the attempts by BJP to engineer defections from other parties in Maharashtra amid the political uncertainties and the imposition of President's rule. According to PTI, the former chief minister of Maharashtra said that the BJP was trying to stop Shiv Sena from allying with Congress and NCP.
"We are alert about `Operation lotus'," Chavan said, as the ideologically contrasting parties--Shiv Sena and Congress explore possibilities to form a government in the state. Chavan's statement came in reference to BJP leader Narayan Rane's statement on Tuesday 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.
Resort politics
Maharashtra Congress MLAs, who had been camping at a resort for the last five days amid a political impasse in their state, left for Mumbai on Wednesday. The MLAs were holed up at the luxury resort, located close to the Delhi-Jaipur national highway amid concerns of horsetrading, as the Congress remained occupied holding marathon meetings with ally NCP and Shiv Sena pertaining to the government formation in the state.
Shiv Sena's newly-elected MLAs have been staying at a suburban resort for the last few days. Uddhav Thackeray on November 12 met his party legislators at the resort, where the Shiv Sena chief was told that they would abide by whatever the decision was taken by him. Thackeray was accompanied by senior leaders and his sons Aaditya, the newly-elected MLA from Worli in central Mumbai, and Tejas.
On Friday, Republic accessed videos from inside the Rangsharda hotel, where Shiv Sena had reportedly placed their MLAs. Sources told Republic that two buses are parked outside Rangsharda Hotel and they would be shifted to another place from the hotel. The move by Shiv Sena came amid Congress' charge of horse-trading against the BJP.
As the two ideologically contrasting political parties contemplate over an alliance, Uddhav Thackeray held a second meeting with senior Congress leaders. The meeting involving Sonia Gandhi's aides in Mumbai's Trident Hotel. After meeting with Congress state chief Balasaheb Thorat, former chief minister of the state Ashok Chavan, senior Congress leader Manikrao Thackeray, the Shiv Sena chief claimed that the talks have started in the 'right direction.'
(With PTI inputs)
Updated 18:23 IST, November 13th 2019