'Op Lotus' talks gain traction

MUMBAI: Whispers of 'Operation Lotus' are once again doing the rounds in Maharashtra's political circles, a dreaded term for opposition parties reeling from a brutal electoral defeat.

- HT Correspondent

The term, stripped of its sheen, refers to defections allegedly orchestrated by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a practice it has used effectively in the past.

The phrase has brought back memories of defections and splits that shook two major political parties, reshaping the state's political landscape since 2022.

Now, after the recent state elections, BJP leaders claim many newly elected MLAs and MPs from opposition parties, especially the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Nationalist Congress Party (SP), are sending out feelers, and may want to switch sides.

The three parties in the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) - the Congress, Sena (UBT) and NCP (SP) - managed a meagre 46 seats in a 288-member assembly - too low even to claim the post of leader of the opposition.

MLAs from the MVA are growing increasingly concerned about their political future.