All parties have expressed inability to form government in Delhi: Lt Governor Najeeb Jung
New Delhi: Lt Governor Najeeb Jung on Monday said in a press release that all parties had expressed inability to form government in Delhi, thus leading to fresh polls in the state. While BJP gave a clear indication of not forming a minority government in the national capital, AAP leader Manish Sisodia said his party has sought fresh elections at the earliest.
Congress leader Haroon Yusuf meets LG, criticise BJP, AAP for changing stand
The Congress said that it has conveyed its stand of wanting fresh elections in the capital and the dissolution of Delhi Assembly to Lieutenant Governor (LG) Najeeb Jung.
"I have conveyed the Congress party's stand to the LG. The Delhi Vidhan Sabha should be dissolved and fresh elections should be announced as soon as possible and held at the same time as the Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir elections," said Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Haroon Yusuf.
Yusuf further assured that the Congress, under party president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi will strongly fight the elections in Delhi and if given the opportunity, will work for the development of the capital which is on hold till now.
Crticising the BJP and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for changing their stand on the formation of the government in Delhi, Yusuf also said that the Congress's stand has always been clear: people in Delhi are suffering but AAP and BJP just want to be in power.
"The BJP and AAP is only concerned how to be in power. Earlier, when talks were going on to dissolve the house, the AAP had written to the LG stating that they were looking for an alternative to form the government in Delhi. Similarly, since the BJP has come to power, it is also engaging in double talk. One group of the BJP used to say that we want elections in Delhi, a second one used to say that we will form the government in Delhi and discussions are going on,” Yusuf added.
BJP decline invite to form government, prefer fresh polls
On Monday morning, the LG met Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay to discuss the issue of government formation in the capital. After meeting the Congress party, Jung will later meet AAP at 5:45 pm.
The BJP-Shiromani Akali Dal coalition has 29 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly. The alliance had won 32 seats in the Delhi Assembly polls held last year, but three BJP MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha in the general elections. The AAP had won 28 seats in the polls.
Delhi appears to be heading for fresh polls with BJP, the single largest party, giving clear indication of not forming a minority government in the national capital and prefer election. Top sources in BJP said the party has already taken "an in principle" decision of not taking power and top leadership has already conveyed to the city unit to make preparations for polls soon.
"The party has decided to decline any offer of government formation. We will prefer going to polls," a top Delhi BJP leader told PTI.
The political situation in the national capital was discussed at a meeting of top BJP leaders last evening where it was dominant view that the party should go for polls.
Government sources said the Lt Governor, who is holding talks with all three parties BJP, Congress and AAP to explore government formation, will take a final decision on the political situation by this evening.
The last date of filing of nominations for bypolls in three assembly constituencies in Delhi is November 5 and if there was no possibility of government formation, then LG may recommend dissolution of Delhi assembly "at the earliest" so as to avoid the bypolls, they said.
