Number politics: Why Kejriwal is accusing BJP of trying to poach '40 MLAs'

New Delhi, Aug 26: Amid the ongoing political slugfest over the recent CBI raids on Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and counter claims by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) that the BJP is trying to topple the Delhi government, a special session of the Delhi Assembly has been convened today.

The special session is likely to be a stormy affair as the ruling AAP and the BJP-Congress in opposition have been trading allegations of corruption.

AAP has repeatedly accused the BJP of plotting an 'Operation Lotus' to bring down its government in the pattern of Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

On Thursday, Kejriwal summoned AAP MLAs at his residence and alleged that the BJP was trying to topple his government by offering Rs 800 crore to 40 of his legislators for switching sides. However, the BJP has rejected the charge and said it was an attempt by the AAP government to divert people's attention from the liquor "scam" being probed by the CBI and the ED.

Meanwhile, all eyes are now on numbers in the state Assembly.

It should be noted that AAP has 62 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi assembly. The BJP has eight and needs 28 more for a majority. Under the anti-defection law, around 40 MLAs can break away from AAP without facing action.

Having won Delhi and Punjab, AAP is the only regional party in the country to have governments in two states. Arvind Kejriwal has been trying to expand AAP's footprints in states other than Delhi, including BJP bastions like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Goa. Kejriwal earlier this month said the party he formed in 2012 was on its way to becoming a national party.

AAP is targetting states where Congress hadn't been able to combat the BJP juggernaut. Kejriwal's party is currently focused on making its mark in Himachal and Gujarat that would go to the polls later this year.