How many AAP MLAs attended Arvind Kejriwal's meeting amid Operation Lotus allegations? Full details

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal convened a meeting of the party's MLAs on Thursday amid allegations that the BJP is trying to topple the Delhi government under Operation Lotus. Many of the AAP MLAs skipped the meeting but the party is in touch with all of them, AAP said, denying reports that 20 of the party's legislators were incommunicado. Kejriwal had called the meeting to discuss the party's strategy to counter what he alleged was an attempt to break the AAP that is gradually emerging as the BJP's main challenger in national politics.

On Wednesday, AAP leaders alleged that four of the AAP MLAs were being threatened by the BJP with ED and CBI raids and were offered Rs 20 crore. The leaders also claimed they were asked to make other AAP leaders join the BJP. 

AAP has 62 MLAs in Delhi and 53 MLAs attended the meeting. One MLA is traveling, seven are out of Delhi and Satyendar Jain is in jail, the party said, adding it was in touch with all of them.

AAP leader Saurabh Bhardwaj said BJP's Operation Lotus has failed in Delhi.

"53 out of 62 MLAs were present in the meeting today. Speaker is outside the country and Manish Sisodia is in Himachal. CM spoke to other MLAs over the phone and everyone said that they are with CM Kejriwal till their last breath," he was quoted as saying by the news agency ANI.

He claimed the BJP contacted 12 AAP MLAs with lucrative offers.

Meanwhile, AAP leader Dilip Pandey said the BJP was trying to break away 40 MLAs from AAP.

Earlier this week Manish Sisodia claimed the BJP tried to poach him and said it would rein in CBI and ED if he helped them break the AAP. The BJP has denied the allegations.

Sisodia's house was raided earlier this week in the Delhi excise policy case.

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.

Arvind Kejriwal's party is currently focused on making its mark in Himachal and Gujarat that would go to the polls later this year.