Highlight
- Yashwant Sinha claimed that the saffron party is doing ‘Operation Kamal’.
- Sinha alleged that the BJP is offering ‘money to non-BJP MLAs’ to ensure the victory of its presidential candidate.
- The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has fielded tribal leader Draupadi Murmu from Odisha
Presidential Election 2022: Opposition presidential candidate Yashwant Sinha on Thursday accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of indulging in horse-trading in elections to the country’s highest constitutional post and demanded a probe.
He claimed that the saffron party was conducting ‘Operation Kamal’, under which it was allegedly offering “huge money to non-BJP MLAs” to ensure the victory of its presidential candidate as it was supposed to be free and fair. Fear of election results.
Lotus or lotus is the election symbol of BJP.
In recent years, opposition parties have been accusing the BJP of carrying out ‘Operation Kamal’ to gain power in states where it does not rule. The opposition uses the term to describe the saffron party’s alleged attempts to defect to form the government.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has named Draupadi Murmu, a tribal leader from Odisha, as its candidate for the presidential election. The election for the top post will be held on July 18.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Congress MLAs, Sinha said, “This morning, I read with deep sadness a news published in a leading Madhya Pradesh newspaper with the headline – ‘BJP eyes 28 tribal MLAs of Congress ‘Preparing for cross voting’.”
“I have also heard from credible sources that large sums of money are being offered to non-BJP MLAs to vote for the party’s candidate in the presidential election,” he alleged.
This clearly means that ‘Operation Kamal’ is now being invoked even in the election for the highest office of the republic, Sinha said, which also shows that the BJP fears the outcome of a free and fair presidential election.
He said that Congress’s tribal MLA and former state minister Umang Singhar clearly said during a meeting that pressure was exerted on him.
“What kind of politics is happening in the country…forget the presidential election…”
Sinha’s remarks come amid discussions in political circles that a BJP leader has approached Singhar for cross-voting.
He said, “From the very beginning they have been saying that Yashwant Sinha is the loser. They are saying that we are winning the presidential election with a huge mandate. If so, why are you worried? Keep an eye on you 28. Tribal MLAs of Congress and are saying that you are going for cross voting.
“So what I am saying is that the presidential election is not just an election, it is for the future of the country,” he said.
He urged the Election Commission and the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha, who is the Returning Officer for the Presidential election, to investigate the alleged corruption practices of the ruling party.
The correct name of “Operation Kamal” is ‘Operation Mal’ (dirt), as it has become synonymous with dirty political corruption by the ruling party.
It has been used to create defections in opposition parties and even to topple state governments run by opposition parties.
“Apart from Madhya Pradesh, the BJP has used it to topple governments in Karnataka, Goa, Arunachal Pradesh and most recently in Maharashtra. In all this, I find alarm bells ringing for democracy in India,” he said.
When asked, he said that there is a huge difference between the BJP in the present and the time when he was a part of it in the past.
“Both are different parties. The BJP led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani lost the no-confidence by one vote. In 1999, the Vajpayee-led government was defeated by one vote. And I consider this a very principled one. I accept it as a chapter. With just one vote. Can you now imagine that the BJP government at the Center or in the states is losing by one vote?” Sinha said.
“You will also remember that at that time after losing the confidence motion, Vajpayeeji had said that goods are for sale in the mandi (market) but we did not buy. Today Umang Singharji talked about buying. Where did the BJP go?” He asked.
Asked whether some BJP people were still supporting him in the elections, he said the best thing would be to wait for the situation to unfold.
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