New Delhi: With the arithmetic not favouring it despite the party emerging as the single-largest in the Delhi Assembly election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has refused to form government and instead decided to sit in the opposition.
BJP chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan met Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Thursday evening to discuss about government formation in the national capital. As the BJP has refused to stake the claim, the L-G will now call the AAP to form the government in Delhi.
The results threw up a badly fractured verdict with BJP and its ally Shiromani Akali Dal winning 32 seats, the debutant Aam Aadmi Party 28, Congress eight, Janata Dal United and an Independent bagging one each.
As no party seems to have the numbers, it seems Delhi is headed for President's Rule and then re-election.
After the meeting, Harsh Vardhan said, "I have informed Najeeb Jung about my views, we don't have the numbers and we are four short of majority and hence we won't form the government."
"It is better that we sit in opposition and continue to work for the betterment of the people. We will form government only after we get a clear mandate," Vardhan added.
Najeeb Jung had invited the BJP leader after no party succeeded to get a clear majority in the Assembly elections.
Earlier, Delhi BJP President Vijay Goel reiterated the party's stand and said that the party would instead favour fresh polls for the Delhi Assembly. "We have made our stand clear that we don't have enough numbers. Dr Harsh Vardhan will meet the LG today to discuss the developments. We are ready for all scenarios, we are ready to even go for re-elections," said Goel.
The BJP leader also indicated that he was open to talks with AAP which had garnered 28 seats in the 70-member assembly. "If AAP gives us a proposal then we'll definitely think about it," he said.
The BJP also claimed that it has no problem to sit in the Opposition.
"We have made it clear that the BJP won't form a government in Delhi since we don't have the numbers. Senior AAP leaders have indicated that they are keen to form the govt, let them do so. The BJP has made no such promises," said BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
With both BJP and AAP unwilling take charge of the government, Delhi seems to be bracing for the President's rule. Going by the precedent set by the former President KR Narayanan, the Lieutenant Governor might ask Harsh Vardhan to form the next government and prove majority later.
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