BJP explores government formation in Delhi; says ball in Lt Governor court
New Delhi: With its MLAs unwilling to face fresh elections, BJP on Wednesday indicated it may take a shot at government formation in Delhi which is under President's rule for five months, but declined to spell out how it will get the requisite number, amid allegations of horse-trading by AAP.
Newly-appointed Delhi BJP Chief Satish Upadhyay, after two separate meetings with party MLAs and MPs on the issue, said the party will consider government formation if invited by the the Lt Governor.
Currently BJP, along with ally Akali Dal's lone MLA, has 29 legislators and will require the support of five more MLAs to prove majority in the assembly.
Party sources said senior leader and former Delhi Finance Minister Jagdish Mukhi was the frontrunner for the Chief Minister's post as he is known to have good equations with all quarters in the party.
They said almost all MLAs and MPs from Delhi were in favour of BJP forming the government and a final decision on the issue is likely to be taken by party leadership after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from Brazil on Thursday.
"We will consider it (formation of government) provided Lt Governor Najeeb Jung calls us," Upadhyay said, after meeting with the party MLAs.
AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been demanding fresh polls, alleged that BJP was trying to buy six Congress MLAs by paying Rs 20 crore each.
"After failing to buy any AAP MLA, BJP (is) now trying to buy 6 cong MLAs. Price - Rs 20 crores each, 2 ministers and 4 chairmen (sic)," Kejriwal tweeted.
BJP insiders said at least five Congress MLAs have indicated that they are ready to form a separate group and support a BJP government. To evade provision of anti-defection law, they will need one more MLA to leave the party.
But Chief Spokesperson of Delhi Congress Mukesh Sharma rubbished the BJP claim saying, "all our MLAs are united and will not leave the party."
Mukhi denied allegations of horse trading, saying nobody takes Kejriwal seriously.
When asked whether BJP was willing to form government, Mukhi, a five-time MLA, said the ball was in Lt Governor's court.
"The invitation has to come from the Lt Governor. The LG has to make every possible effort to install a popular government. Let him decide," 74-year-old Mukhi, who was Delhi Finance Minister in the BJP government between 1991 and 1996, said.
BJP had emerged the single largest party after the assembly polls in December last year with 32 seats including ally Akali Dal's one MLA in the 70-member House.
BJP fell four seats short of a simple majority and had refused to form government in December last year, saying it did not have the numbers and will not resort to any "unfair means" to take the reins.
AAP with 28 MLAs had later formed the government with support of eight Congress MLAs.
BJP's number came down to 28 in the House in May after three of its legislators Harsh Vardhan, Ramesh Bidhuri and Pervesh Verma were elected to Lok Sabha. With the resignation of three MLAs, the strength of the assembly also went down to 67.
President's rule was imposed in Delhi on February 17 after 49-day AAP government had resigned. Lt Governor Najeeb Jung is likely to send a report to the Centre shortly on the political situation in the city.
Though majority of the BJP MLAs and MPs from Delhi favoured forming government by the party, a number of senior leaders feel it should prefer fresh election as BJP had come first in 60 of the 70 assembly segments in the Lok Sabha polls.
Congress asked the BJP to clarify how it will manage the numbers as the party earlier had announced that it will not resort to any "unfair means" to take the reins in Delhi.
"They had talked about morality and not resorting to horse trading. Have they changed the definition of morality. They must explain how they will manage the numbers. There is no question of our MLAs supporting BJP," said Sharma. He said Congress was ready to go to polls.
Former Power Minister and Congress leader Harun Yusuf slammed BJP for indicating that it was ready to form government and said the party was trying to deflect attention from its failures.
"Being the ruling party at the Centre, BJP has responsibility towards Delhi as the city is under President's rule. It has failed on all fronts and that is why it is trying to deflect attention by talking about government formation," he said.
AAP leader Ashutosh, lambasting BJP, demanded immediate dissolution of the Delhi assembly and holding of fresh elections.
