 "Re-elections in Delhi almost certain after Kejriwal refutes Bhushan")
As Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) made it clear on Tuesday that it would not support the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in forming a government in Delhi, re-polls in the national capital within the next six months look almost certain.
“There is no question of supporting [the] BJP. What Prashant [Bhushan] said yesterday was his personal opinion,” said Kejriwal.
On Monday, Bhushan, a lawyer and founding member of the AAP, had told a private television channel: “If the BJP gives us in writing that it will pass the Jan Lokpal Bill by December 29 and set up ‘Jan Sabhas’ in Delhi as promised by the AAP, we may consider supporting the party.”
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Bhushan on Tuesday retracted his statement and said under no circumstances would support be extended to either the Congress or the BJP.
BJP’s internal contradictions
The BJP on Tuesday elected Harsh Vardhan as the leader of the House. Vardhan, who was the chief ministerial candidate of the party, met his 31 legislators on Tuesday and said they had decided to not form a government by breaking any other party.
“We accept we are short of numbers,” Vardhan said, “But we will not indulge in breaking other parties.”
Vardhan’s statement was in-line with what the senior leadership of the BJP has maintained since results were announced. The leadership fears sending a negative signal if any attempt is made by the BJP in breaking either the Congress or the AAP.
However, even as they said this, the party remained tightlipped about what it would do if the Lt Governor Najeeb Jung asked them to try forming the government first – as the BJP is the single largest party with the support of 32 MLAs -- four short of a majority.
Both, Vardhan and Vijay Goel, president of the BJP’s Delhi unit, ducked questions on whether the BJP would try running a minority government. They said a re-election meant loss of tax payers’ money.
The party’s confusion is fuelled by uncertainty within the legislators of the BJP. Privately, these legislators confided that they would prefer the BJP running a minority government than a re-election.
“The party should try forming a government,” said one legislator, “But we will support whatever the party finally decides.”