Arvind Kejriwal proves majority, wins trust vote in Delhi Assembly

After accusing the BJP of MLA poaching, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal won the assembly’s trust vote on Thursday.

In the trust vote, 58 MLAs supported Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). In the 70-member Delhi Assembly, the AAP has 62 MLAs and the BJP has eight.

Kejriwal proposed a confidence motion in the Delhi Assembly after alleging that the opposition BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus’ to destabilise his government had failed because no AAP MLAs crossed over. On Monday, August 29, the motion was tabled in the House.

“They failed to buy even a single AAP MLA in Delhi. We have 62 MLAs, two are out of country, one in jail. Fourth member is the Speaker of the House,” the Delhi CM said after the trust motion was passed.

Last week, Kejriwal claimed that the BJP had targeted 40 AAP MLAs and offered each of them Rs 20 crore to switch sides.

“I want to bring a Motion of Confidence in the Assembly so that it can be proven in front of the people of Delhi that the BJP’s ‘Operation Lotus Delhi’ has turned into ‘Operation Kichad,'” he had said.

The BJP responded by accusing Kejriwal of using the assembly to spread political propaganda and engage in drama in order to divert public attention away from his government’s liquor “scam.”

A relieved Kejriwal also spoke out in support of his deputy, Manish Sisodia, who is being investigated by the CBI for his alleged involvement in the Delhi excise policy case.

“Nothing was found in his [Sisodia’s] house despite the CBI raids. Had he done corruption in liquor policy, crores would have been found at his home. Ye kangaal aadmi hai (He is penniless),” said the Delhi CM.

Touching upon the Sangam Vihar case, in which a 16-year-old girl was shot at by two men, Kejriwal expressed concern about the deteriorating law and order situation in the city. He also called on the Lt Governor and Home Minister to “take all appropriate steps for controlling the situation”.