Union Cabinet recommends dissolution of Delhi Assembly, fresh elections likely in February
New Delhi: Ending months of uncertainty, the Centre on Tuesday recommended dissolution of the Delhi Assembly with immediate effect after BJP, AAP and Congress expressed their inability to form a government.
Assembly elections in the national capital are likely to be held early next year.
"The Union Cabinet recommended dissolution of the Delhi Assembly with immediate effect," a senior Union Minister said after the brief meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The decision came after the Cabinet considered the report of Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung in which he had suggested dissolution of the year-old Assembly after his meeting with the BJP, AAP and Congress.
The report by Jung paved the way for holding of fresh polls in the capital which is under President's Rule since February after the AAP government quit after ruling for 49 days.
With all the three main parties favouring fresh mandate, the LG recommended to the President dissolution of the Assembly.
The LG held consultations yesterday with political parties in the wake of the Supreme Court putting the issue on the fast track and giving him time till November 11 to explore the possibility of forming a government.
The court was hearing AAP's petition seeking early dissolution of the Assembly, which has been under suspended animation since February after the fall of the AAP government.
Currently BJP, along with ally Akali Dal's lone MLA, has 29 legislators and would have required support of five more MLAs to form a government and prove majority in the 67-member Assembly.
Three seats fell vacant after the incumbents were elected to the Lok Sabha. The bypolls for the three seats are scheduled for November 25.
BJP had emerged as the single largest party in the
December Assembly polls winning 31 seats but fell four seats short of a simple majority.
It had refused to form government then, saying it will not resort to any "unfair means" to take over the reins.
AAP had formed the government in Delhi with the support of Congress.
The government led by Kejriwal had resigned on February 14 after the party's pet project, the Janlokpal Bill, could not be passed due to opposition from BJP and Congress. President's Rule was imposed on February 17.
Arvind Kejriwal : We will get more than 45 seats in the Delhi polls pic.twitter.com/2oDei3Z1lv
— ANI (@ANI_news) November 4, 2014