Amid speculations of over six Congress MlAs supporting the BJP to form Government in Delhi, State Congress president Arvinder Singh lovely on Saturday appeared before the media, along with all seven legislators, claiming solidarity. Putting up a united front, Singh said that the BJP and AAP were two sides of the same coin and the Congress has decided to back neither outfit.
“Instead of supporting the BJP or AAP, the Congress is ready for fresh elections. All our eight MlAs are united. This is the oldest political party in the country and there is no question of our MlAs supporting AAP or the BJP to form a Government in Delhi,” Delhi Pradesh Congress chief said.
On the question of Government formation, lovely said that the Congress has accepted the people’s mandate and it is not making any efforts to form the Government. “People of Delhi have not mandated in favour of Congress, we have acknowledged the fact and the Congress is ready for fresh elections,” the Congress added.
All seven Congress MlAs Haroon Yusuf, Jaikishan, Hassan Ahmed, Mateen Ahmed, Prahlad Singh Sahni, Devender Yadav and Asif Mohammed Khan were present on the occasion.
lovely further alleged that former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is trying to create communal discord by erecting provocative hoardings. “First they approached us for support, when we declined the offer they started making baseless allegations against our MlAs and when Kejriwal did not succeed in his design, his party intentionally started
erecting provocative hoardings in sensitive areas to manipulate minorities”. Meanwhile, Balliamaran MlA and Congress legislative Party (ClP) leader Yusuf said that if three AAP members are behind the bars it proves their involvement in the hoarding conspiracy. “Kejriwal, who once talked of principles, has stooped to lowest levels of votebank politics.”
There were rumours that at least six Congress MlAs were ready to leave the party and support the BJP Government. Seelampur MlA Mateen Ahmed alleged that AAP was trying to obtain the support of Congress MlAs in order to form the Government for a second time in Delhi after its earlier stint. “All Congress MlAs are together,” Ahmed said.