As BJP’s CEC set to take final decision, SC to hear AAP plea for fresh election
Tuesday will be crucial day for Delhi to end its political uncertainty as the BJP’s Central Election Committee meet is expected to take a final call on the deadlock and AAP’s petition for fresh polls in Delhi will be heard in the Supreme Court.
It appears that the Delhi BJP is closed to power in the national Capital after a hiatus of over 15 years with indication emerging that the party was ready to form Government if invited by lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung, notwithstanding opposition from some senior leaders.
Sources in the BJP said that all senior leaders will be present at the BJP’s CEC meeting on Tuesday. It is learnt that the meet will decide about forming the Government in Delhi. Delhi BJP leaders say that they are yet to get invitation from the lieutenant-Governor. Sources in Raj Niwas also stated that the lt-Governor office is awaiting the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) decision on it.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay has indicated a decision on the issue in a day or two. After meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday, he said that there will be clarity on the issue within a day or two. “We will be able to take a decision on Government formation only after getting an invite from the l-G,” said Upadhyay, adding that the party is waiting for invitation from the l-G. It was his second meeting with Singh in the last three days.
In ludhiana, Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal said that there is nothing wrong or unconstitutional in this process if the BJP is asked to form the Government in Delhi. He was responding to a query related to formation of a Government in Delhi by the BJP.
BJP national president Amit Shah had told Rajat Sharma in his Aap Ki Adalat programme on India TV that everybody wants to avoid fresh elections in Delhi and the BJP is the single-largest party and it has the right to form a Government.
BJP sources said the party was ready to form Government though a section of leaders was against it. They said the dominant view in the BJP was that it will not be immoral on its part to take the reins as the party had swept the lok Sabha polls by winning all the seven seats with comfortable margins.
However, they said a number of senior leaders still feel that it will be a major humiliation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the party if it decides to form Government but fails the confidence vote in the Assembly. Giving indication of other party’s inclination towards Government formation, Upadhyay said no MlA from any party wants to face fresh election.
The BJP, along with its ally Akali Dal’s one MlA, has 29 MlAs in the Assembly. Sources in the BJP said expelled AAP MlA Vinod Kumar Binny and Independent MlA from Mundka Rambir Shokeen were ready to support the party which will leave the party short of three legislators to reach the majority mark.
The BJP had won 31 seats in the 70-member Assembly but the number came down to 28 as three party legislators Harsh Vardhan, Ramesh Bidhuri and Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma had resigned from the Assembly after they were elected to the lok Sabha. Following resignation of the three legislators, the strength of the Assembly had come down to 67 and BJP will require support of at least five more MlAs to reach the majority mark of 34 to prove its majority in the House. There are indications that the party may press for invoking a provision in the National Capital Territory Act of carrying out a secret ballot to choose the Chief Minister and prove majority in the Assembly.
The Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress have been fuming over lt Governor’s communication to the President seeking permission to invite BJP, terming it as “unconstitutional”. The AAP on Saturday sought President Pranab Mukherjee’s intervention in restraining the lt-Governor in inviting the BJP to form a Government and demanded immediate dissolution of the Assembly.
Attacking Jung, AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “If the BJP is invited, it will be a murder of the democracy”, while Congress accused Jung of taking diktats from the Home Minister and a section of BJP leaders. Jung had recently sent a report to President Pranab Mukherjee seeking permission to call the single largest party to take a shot at power though it is well short of majority in the Assembly. Aam Aadmi Party and Congress have come down hard on Jung for his report and accused him of promoting “horse-trading”.