In a significant political shift, seven out of ten Rajya Sabha MPs from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), including prominent leader Raghav Chadha, have defected to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). During a press conference, Chadha stated that they have submitted the necessary documentation to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, C P Radhakrishnan, to formalize the merger. The AAP has accused the BJP of orchestrating 'Operation Lotus', a term that refers to the BJP's strategy of inducing defections among opposition members to weaken their strength. AAP MP Sanjay Singh condemned the move as 'petty politics' aimed at destabilizing the Bhagwant Mann-led government in Punjab. Historically, 'Operation Lotus' has been invoked during similar political maneuvers in Karnataka (2008), Madhya Pradesh (2020), and Maharashtra (2022), where defections led to significant shifts in power. Critics argue that this tactic undermines the Anti-Defection Law by facilitating mass resignations rather than individual floor-crossing, raising concerns about the integrity of political processes in India.