‘Operation Lotus’ creates a flutter in Kerala BJP

By Shankar Raj*

Thiruvananthapuram: The top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership and the Kerala state unit are upset over the details provided to the media by state vice president Sobha Surendran of ‘Operation Lotus’ through which the party tried to lasso EP Jayarajan, the Left Democratic Front’s convenor and one of the tallest Communist Party of India (Marxist) leaders after Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

Sobha, the fiery BJP leader from Kerala and the party’s candidate for the Lok Sabha from Alappuzha had disclosed the inner details of how ‘Operation Lotus’ works.

‘Operation Lotus’ reportedly involves luring opposition leaders to join the BJP through various means, including negotiations and offers.

Sobha’s claims have implications for the BJP’s credibility and political manoeuvring in Kerala and in other states and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reportedly sought clarification from various leaders, including Prakash Javadekar, who allegedly visited Jayarajan at his son’s apartment in Thiruvananthapuram.

According to media reports, Modi expressed dissatisfaction with how events have unfolded.

Sobha had revealed details of a series of alleged meetings she and a power broker called Dalal Nandakumar had with Jayarajan, which raised eyebrows within the party and beyond. She also admitted that the party had made attempts to woo several senior leaders from different parties to join the BJP fold.

Sobha’s statements validate the Opposition’s allegations that the BJP uses middlemen to attract opposition leaders, potentially offering money or other incentives.

The BJP is upset that she made all these claims without any evidence to back them up. EP denied all that Sobha said and that left the BJP red-faced as there was no hard evidence on the table.

While the EP episode initially dented the CPM’s reputation, it now threatens the BJP’s credibility.

Sources in the BJP also say that Sobha aired her claims on TV and other media outlets without consulting state or central leaders, which goes against the party’s preferred approach to political manoeuvring.

The party’s national leadership is likely to take disciplinary action against Sobha for her disclosures.

Javadekar, the BJP’s Kerala prabhari (in charge), is expected to submit a detailed report to national president J.P. Nadda regarding the Kerala episode.

Sobha was also involved in an alleged money deal with Dalal Nandakumar from whom she accepted Rs 10 lakh for the sale of her land in Thrissur district.

The Sobha episode is likely to be addressed after the Lok Sabha poll results are announced on June 4. If she wins from Alappuzha where she faces a formidable opponent in Congress general secretary K C Venugopal, she might save herself; if not, she may be downgraded in the party in Kerala.

Meanwhile, EP Jayarajan has sent a legal notice to Sobha Surendran, KPCC chief K Sudhakaran and TG Nandakumar (Dalal Nandakumar) for orchestrating a false campaign and hatching a conspiracy to insult him and the CPM. If the allegations are not withdrawn and an apology is not issued via the media, Jayarajan said in the notice that he will initiate legal proceedings against them.

*Shankar Raj is a former editor of The New Indian Express, Karnataka and Kerala, and writes regularly on current affairs.