Chidambaram calls out Operation Lotus as political defections mount

Senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram has accused the BJP of aggressively engineering splits across opposition ranks, declaring that the constitutional safeguards intended to curb floor-crossing have been rendered toothless. He specifically pointed to the 10th Schedule, which remains a silent witness as political parties fracture under sustained pressure.

Editorial·June 23, 2026·reads: 2,849

Chidambaram calls out Operation Lotus as political defections mount

The former Union Finance Minister took to social media to highlight a string of recent defections, naming the Biju Janata Dal, AAP, Trinamool Congress, and Shiv Sena (UBT) as primary targets of what he characterizes as a highly active Operation Lotus. The 10th Schedule, designed to disqualify members for defection, has failed to prevent these shifts in allegiance.

In the latest instance of this trend, six Lok Sabha MPs from the Shiv Sena (UBT) defected to the faction led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The move followed a disciplinary standoff after the lawmakers skipped a parliamentary party meeting. Similar friction persists within the Trinamool Congress, where 20 MPs have formally petitioned Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to recognize their merger with the National Citizens Party of India, prompting the Trinamool leadership to demand their immediate disqualification.