Aam Admi Party has spurned Congress' offer of unconditional support to form a government.
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- Category: Delhi political News
- Last Updated: Thursday, 22 January 2015 20:52
AAP won’t form govt in Delhi; Prez Rule imminent
New Delhi: It seems the political logjam in Delhi is not going to end soon. In a late night development, the Aam Admi Party has spurned Congress' offer of unconditional support to form a government.
With this development, New Delhi is now staring at the prospect of President's Rule.
As the Congress announced "unconditional" support of its eight legislators, all eyes were on AAP whether it would form a government despite a hung Assembly in Delhi.
Earlier on Friday, Congress had sent a letter to Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung offering unconditional support to AAP to form the government, stating the party would not like to put the burden on people of fresh election in the city state.
Congress' offer of support came ahead of Jung's meeting with AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday at 10:30 AM to discuss government formation.
Soon after Congress' offer of support, top AAP leaders met in Ghaziabad late Friday night and decided to spurn the offer.
"We are sticking to our decision (not to form the government", Manish Sisodia, a member of AAP Political Affairs Committee and a newly-elected MLA, said after the meeting of the top leaders of the party.
Another AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the party has decided not to give or take support from either Congress or BJP.
Notably, AAP emerged as the second largest grouping which bagged 28 seats in the 70-member house. The BJP, which won the maximum seats, has already refused to form government as it is short of majority.
Earlier, party sources said that all suggestions were being taken into account and the party would convey its formal response on the Congress' offer to Jung on Saturday.
On Friday, the Congress told Jung that it was ready to "unconditionally" support an AAP government to end the political logjam in Delhi.
A Congress source told a news agency that all eight legislators of the party were ready to back the AAP.
The party's letter to Jung read: "Indian National Congress is willing to offer unconditional outside support to AAP if they are ready to form the government."
"We have come to know through media that after the refusal of BJP to form government in absence of adequate number, you have invited Arvind Kejriwal of AAP to form government," said the letter signed by party general secretary Shakeel Ahmed and Delhi Congress chief JP Agarwal.
All the eight Congress legislators on Thursday met party vice president Rahul Gandhi and expressed their desire to support AAP.
The AAP finished second, just behind the Bharatiya Janata Party's 31, leaving Delhi with a hung house. The BJP on Thursday said it will not form a government.
The BJP, earlier on Friday, had again asked Aam Admi Party to form a government while assuring it of constructive cooperation in fulfilling its promises such as slashing tariff by 50 percent and providing free water up to 700 litres daily. Delhi BJP president Vijay Goel had said if AAP was really serious about fulfilling the promises made to people, then it should go ahead and form a government.
However, Aam Aadmi Party leader Yogendra Yadav had maintained that his party does not believe in the politics of give and take.
Jung invited Kejriwal to discuss government formation on Saturday after the BJP declined the offer.
BJP's chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan met Jung on Thursday and told him that "in the absence of a clear mandate, it will be better for us that we sit in the opposition".
"As you know, we are four short of a majority. We have no alternative... We seek the forgiveness of the people for our decision," he said after his over half-an-hour-long meeting with Jung.
He said the BJP should not be held responsible if its inability to form a government leads to fresh elections because it was the circumstances which are forcing a re-poll.
Source:zeenews