While it is not clear why BJP would not want a re-election, Kejriwal should better prepare his spy team on the lines of his anti-corruption sting operation team. If there is horse-trading, give us proof.
Reports are rife that the Bhartiya Janata Party is exploring all the possibilities to form a government in the national capital.
Delhi has been under President’s rule since February when AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal quit as chief minister over the stalling of the illegal Jan Lokpal bill in the Assembly. The Assembly has been under suspended animation ever since and no party has staked claim to form the government.
The Indian Express reported: “Two days after Lt-Governor Najeeb Jung told The Indian Express that government formation in Delhi was a possibility without dissolving the existing House, state BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said his party was “open to all options”.
This a complete departure from the stand taken by his predecessor and now Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan, who had said that the BJP would go for fresh polls rather than rustle up numbers for government formation.”
It is known that newly appointed BJP Delhi chief Satish Upadhyay held two separate meetings with party MLAs and MPs over the past two days. Reportedly, he has said that his party would consider options only if it got the invitation.
The Hindu quoted him: “My party will consider options only if approached by the Lieutenant-Governor. We have not made any claims of our own.”
Upadhyay is expectedly in the process of preparing a comprehensive report on whether to form the government after holding the consultations. The report would be submitted to the central party leadership and a final decision was likely only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from Brazil.
The BJP had emerged as the single largest party in the 2013 Assembly election with 32 seats. The number came down to 29 after three MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha. With their resignation, the strength of the Assembly also went down to 67 and the simple majority mark would be 34.
With the kind of dire situation that the BJP is in, speculations are high that it may ask either Congress or AAP to join hands.
Taking advantage of the situation, Kejriwal has repeatedly accused the party of horse-trading. Even yesterday accused the BJP of indulging in horse-trading to get the numbers required to form the government.
“BJP is resorting to dishonest and highly unethical methods of trying to form the government by offering Rs 20 crore each to many MLAs. Is this democracy? It is completely wrong,” he said.
“If the BJP forms the government using such illegitimate methods and by spending hundreds of crores, then such a dishonest government will only increase your electricity bills, indulge in corruption and price rise. Would a government formed through dishonest means like horse-trading be able to provide safety for women?” Kejriwal said in a recorded message which is expected to be used by AAP to reach out to people by way of phone calls.
Given Kejriwal’s previous charades and illegitimate claims coupled with escapist nature, the people of Delhi would want more than that against BJP. Afterall, the party had won all the seven Lok Sabha seats in the capital andhad received their clear mandate in Delhi assembly elections too.
While it is not clear why BJP would not want a re-election, Kejriwal should better prepare his spy team on the lines of his anti-corruption sting operation team. If there is horse-trading, give us proof.
