Poll or GovernmentIJ Delhi suspense can’t go on
With the Supreme Court giving four more weeks to resolve the issue of Government formation in Delhi, the Union Government must take a firm call and not allow the matter to drag on any further. Enough damage has already been done, with the atmosphere getting vitiated by claims and counter-claims of horse-trading. Whether this is indeed happening, is not the only issue that we must be concerned about; what is worrisome also is that there is a general dip in trust among the people pursuant to the ongoing drama. This is certainly not good for democracy. The lieutenant Governor has suggested that the Bharatiya Janata Party, having the largest chunk of MlAs in the Assembly which has been under suspended animation, should be invited to form the Government. While the President has yet to respond to the lt Governor's missive, the party has taken the stand that it will respond appropriately if it gets a formal invite. Nevertheless, it has given enough indication that it was keen to take a shot, giving a handle to its rivals to allege that the BJP was engaged in backdoor manoeuvres. On the other hand, the Aam Aadmi Party, which is slightly short of the number the BJP has, is doing its best — including conducting so-called sting operations — to block the BJP's effort. Its stand that the people of the State deserve a stable Government they elect, and not a minority one — and certainly not one that comes in through manipulation, is aimed at brushing up the AAP's image which has been severely tarnished by internecine conflicts, its failure to govern and its decision to resign after barely 50 days in power. It remains to be seen as to what extent this PR exercise will be accepted by the people. After all, nobody has forgotten that the AAP had formed its short-lived Government though it did not have a majority on its own. By taking the support of the Congress after vehemently claiming that it would not do so, the party had destroyed its credibility from the day it assumed power. But that is now history, and the future is another day to battle for. In the tussle between the BJP and the AAP, the Congress stands marginalised. If an election is held, it is unlikely to do any better than the last time when it ended with a mere eight seats out of 70. On the other hand, if the BJP succeeds in forming the Government (minority or with the help of those from other parties who may wish to join the BJP), it will have to sit out as a truncated opposition party for who knows what duration of time.
In the swirl of controversies, certain facts must not be ignored. The first is that the concept of a minority Government is not new. We have had minority regimes at the Centre who held their own simply because they survived the test of strength on the floor of the House. This is achieved by sections of the Opposition, for whatever reason, abstaining from voting. The second fact is that there is nothing unconstitutional in the lt Governor exploring avenues for Government formation before he concludes that there is no alternative to recommending the dissolution of the House. Part of that exercise involves asking the party with the largest number if it wishes to form the Government. Mr Najeeb Jung is seeking to do just that. let’s wait for the outcome and not pre-judge the issue.