Delhi deadlock: BJP in hunt for number; AAP, Kejriwal cries horse trading

New Delhi, India (September 06, 2014): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sent mixed signals on formation of government in Delhi amidst the reports that the saffron party might get invite from Delhi L-G to form the government.

BJP’s former president and India’s Home Minister Rajnath Singh yesterday said that the BJP leadership shall take final decision regarding formation of Government in Delhi. BJP’s new president Amit Shah is set to meet his party legislators in Delhi this evening in the latest bid to ramp up numbers required to form the government in Delhi.

BJP Delhi president Satish Upadhyay said: “Individuals (from other parties) are in touch with the BJP to offer support (to form the government)”.

Meanwhile the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has levelled allegation of horse-trading by the BJP leadership.

Presently, no party is in a position to form government in Delhi as the 70 member house had received a fractured mandate from the people in last assembly polls.

The AAP emerged as the second largest party in Delhi winning 28 seats (one turned rebel).

Delhi has been under President’s rule since Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal resigned as chief minister on February 14 after just 49 days in office.

The BJP won 31 seats in the 70-member house but now has 28 legislators after three were elected to the Lok Sabha in the General Elections held April-May.

In a house with an effective strength of 67, the lone Akali Dal legislator is a BJP ally. There is a JD-U member, an Independent and an AAP rebel.

The Congress won eight seats.

Delhi is under President’s rule following Kejriwal’s resignation from the chief minister’s post in mid-February along with his ministers. The AAP leader had stepped down, accusing the BJP and the Congress, which had given Kejriwal’s government outside support, of joining hands to stall a key anti-graft bill.

Arvind Kejriwal has declared to meet the President of India in the evening, requesting him to thwart any attempt by the BJP to form a government.