Congress has surrendered, only AAP can compete with BJP: Punjab Finance Minister

Reacting to the eight Congress MLAs joining the Bharatiya Janata Party in Goa on Wednesday, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said that the Congress has surrendered before the BJP and only the Aam Aadmi Party can compete with it.

"The Congress has surrendered to BJP. Only AAP can compete with it as we have been able to make their Operation Lotus fail in Punjab when they tried to lure AAP leaders here," Cheema said while addressing a press conference in Chandigarh.

Eight Goa Congress MLAs - former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat, Leader of Opposition Michael Lobo, Delilah Lobo, Rajesh Phaldesai, Kedar Naik, Sankalp Amonkar, Aleixo Sequeira and Rudolf Fernandes - joined the BJP on Wednesday after meeting Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at the Goa Assembly complex.

Cheema alleged that the BJP lures the leaders from other parties under its Operation Lotus and forms governments by horse-trading in the states by purchasing the MLAs where people refuse to accept their ideology.

He further accused the BJP leaders in Delhi of trying to "purchase" the MLAs in Punjab.

"After failing to break our 35 MLAs with Rs 25 crore each, their Operation Lotus has failed in Punjab after they tried their luck on AAP leaders here," he said.

He said that the graph of the Bharatiya Janata Party is on the decline while that of the AAP is increasing.

"We will meet the DGP today with the proof that the AAP MLAs were lured by the BJP. We will complain along with the proof and ask to register a case against the BJP who tried their luck on us," he added.

According to Cheema, the BJP had made attempts to poach its 35 MLAs and leaders in Punjab, as well as the Centre.

(ANI)

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