New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, who refused to form a government in Delhi after a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Saturday, has put the ball for government formation in the BJP and the Congress’s court.
He also wrote letters to Rajnath Singh and Sonia Gandhi asking to make clear their stand on various issues.
Kejriwal has sought ten-days time from the Lt Governor.
The AAP Legistive Party leader, who met the Lt Governor in the morning, said his party has written letters on 18 issues to national chiefs of both the BJP and the Congress and if they reply back then the AAP will go before people with their letters and ask people whether they want re-election or the newly-formed party make a government.
Responding to “unconditional support” extended by the Congress and “constructive support” by the BJP if the AAP forms a government, Mr Kejriwal said he wanted to know “real motives” of both the parties behind their support.
“Lt Governor had called us for government formation. Late night the Congress had given a letter to the Lt Governor for unconditional support to our party. We did not demand support from the Congress or the BJP but it seems both the parties are competing each other in extending support to us,” Mr Kejriwal told reporters after his meeting with the Lt Governor.
Kejriwal, who defeated three-time Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in his debut election, said no support was unconditional and there was “some motive” behind their support.
“Both the Congress and the BJP are not concerned about the people of Delhi. What is their motive behind giving support to us? We want to know. To expose them, we have written letters to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and BJP president Rajnath Singh asking them to make clear their stand on 18 issues,” he said.
The BJP has emerged as the single largest party with 32 seats, including one seat of its ally SAD, in the 70-member Delhi Assembly. It has refused to take power saying it did not have the numbers, falling short of the required majority of 36 and stated that it would sit in the opposition.
While the AAP bagged 28 seats, the Congress came in the third place managing to garner only eight seats.
“We told the Lt Governor that we are not forming government. He has not given any time frame. He told us that whenever we are ready, we can inform him,” the AAP leader said.
Kejriwal said he told Mr Jung that his party has written letters to both the Congress and the BJP. The AAP leader gave copy of the letters to the Lt Governor.
Kejriwal said the AAP has written letters to chiefs of the Congress and the BJP over the issues that included ending ‘VIP culture’ in the national capital, audit of electricity companies, removal of MLA local funds scheme, power tariff, water, women safety, full statehood for Delhi, regularisation of unauthorised colonies.
“We have written that no MLA or Minister will use read beacon, big bungalow, heavy security. We will pass Lokpal Bill, we will call a special session of Assembly at Ramlila Maidan on December 29, Lokpal Bill will probe all the corruption by the Congress in 15 years in Delhi and the BJP corruption in the MCD in the last seven years. We want that both Sonia Gandhi and Rajnath Singh make their stand clear on these issues. Are they ready for this?” he asked.
Kejriwal slammed both the Congress and the BJP saying these two parties were responsible for all the ‘problems’ in Delhi.
He said the BJP was the single largest party but it refused to form a government.
“The BJP was short of only four seats. It is BJP’s right hand’s job to buy four seats. But the BJP is saying that it is not interested in arranging seats. It is very surprising. But if the BJP is saying that then it is our victory,” he said.
“The Congress is also giving unconditional support and that too for free. We had heard that an amount of Rs ten crore is spent on buying a single MLA. But now both the parties are giving us support for free. There is some motive behind this,” Kejriwal added.
He said the AAP was born only due to “corrupt and communal politics” of both the Congress and the BJP. “Then how can we take support from these parties?” the AAP leader asked.
In a surprise move, the Congress had last night extended “unconditional support” of its eight MLAs to the AAP to form the next government in the city.
If the AAP refuses to form the government, the Lt Governor is likely to recommend the President’s Rule in the national capital.
In such a scenario, elections in Delhi are likely to take place along with the general elections in April-May next year. (UNI)
