NEW DELHI, Sep 6: The Aam Aadmi Party today sought President Pranab Mukherjee’s intervention in not allowing Lt Governor Najeeb Jung to invite BJP to form a government in Delhi and demanded immediate dissolution of the assembly.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, along with the 22 party MLAs, called on the the President and submitted to him a memorandum in which the party alleged inviting BJP to form Government will be “murder of democracy”.
“We met the President and told him that our party (AAP) wants elections. We are not in a position to form Government and we will not support anyone. Congress has also made it clear that they will not support anyone. In such a scenario, how can BJP form Government when they don’t have the required numbers”? Kejriwal told reporters.
Attacking Jung for seeking the President’s permission to invite BJP to form Government, the former Delhi Chief Minister said “if BJP is invited, it will be a murder of the democracy. It will be unconstitutional.”
“They can form Government only by buying MLAs and by indulging in horse-trading,” he said.
The AAP leader wondered why such a move of calling BJP to take a shot at power is being initiated when the party had after assembly elections in December last year refused to form government citing lack of numbers when it was invited.
“Harsh Vardhan had then given it in writing to the LG that they cannot form Government. Then again when I resigned in February, BJP reiterated its stand that they cannot form Government. They have not yet withdrawn their letter to the LG. There has been no official communication between BJP and the LG since then,” Kejriwal said.
“Neither BJP has given it in writing that they have the numbers nor have they gone to him to stake claim to form Government. In such a situation, when BJP’s stand is still the same, how is the LG taking initiative to invite BJP to form Government”? he said.
Kejriwal said that according to rules, before inviting a party to form Government, it should be first asked to show letters of support by MLAs.
Referring to reports about resorting to secret ballot in the assembly, Kejriwal said “secret ballot is not at all possible according to the Indian constitution. The people of Delhi want elections.”
The Lt Governor had on Thursday sent a report to the President seeking permission to call the single largest party to have a go at power though it is well short of majority in the assembly.
In his report, Jung gave a detailed analysis of the political situation and underlined the need to have an elected Government in the city which is under President’s rule since February 17 following the resignation of the Aam Aadmi Party Government which was in power for 49 days.
The Lt Governor said though no party has staked claim to form Government in Delhi, BJP could be invited to take the reins as it is the single largest party in the assembly.
Jung observed that all options for putting in place an elected Government should be explored before contemplating holding of fresh polls. (PTI)
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