With the ball in the court of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to form the next Government in Delhi, the Congress party on Friday officially handed over a letter to lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung assuring support to Arvind Kejriwal’s party (AAP). The lieutenant-Governor has called Arvind Kejriwal to stake claim for formation of a new Government on Saturday.
With the arithmetic not favouring it despite the party emerging as the single-largest in the Delhi Assembly election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already refused to form Government and has decided to sit in the Opposition.
Congress MlA Jai Kishan told The Pioneer that the party has handed over to a letter to lieutenant-Governor, assuring unconditional support to AAP if they came forward to form the Government in Delhi.
According to the sources the letter says, “We have come to know through media that after the refusal by the BJP leader Dr Harsh Vardhan to form a Government in Delhi, due to the lack of support of required number of MlAs, you have invited AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal to explore the possibilities for the formation of a government. However, the Indian National Congress has decided to extend outside support to AAP if the party is ready to form the government. AAP’s 28 MlAs and Congress’ 8 MlAs will be enough for the majority in the 70 members Delhi legislative Assembly. Signed letters by all the eight Congress MlAs will be submit to you and to AAP leaders as soon as they accept your invitation to form the next Government,” the letter said.
The Congress leaders also urged lieuteuant-Governor to mention and or show their letter to Arvind Kejriwal extending support to AAP for the formation of the next government of Delhi. Delhi Congress president Jai Prakash Aggarwal has also signed the letter.
“Now, it has come to know that Jung has invited AAP to stake claim to form the government. If AAP forms its government, they are ready to provide unconditional support to them” the letter said.
Meanwhile, after a meeting of senior leaders, AAP leader Yogendra Yadav told the media that when legislature party chairman Arvind Kejriwal meets lieutenant-Governor on Saturday, he will tell him that the party does not have the majority and was not inclined to form a government.
“The lieutenant-Governor has sent a letter to Kejriwal formally inviting AAP to discuss the government formation. We are going to meet him at
10.30 am. We will explain our position to him that we do not have majority. Also we are not the largest party in the Assembly. We will put before him all these views. We do not favour manipulative politics,” Yadav said.