The political horse-trading has already started with Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung had made up his mind and is set to pave the way for a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the Capital, to make Delhi‘s present day frozen fuss as history, according to top-level sources.
Acting in response to an AAP petition seeking dissolution of the frozen Assembly on August 5, Supreme Court asked the Centre and L-G to resolve the deadlock on government formation within five weeks.
As per the sources, the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) is expected to get in touch with President Pranab Mukherjee to converse about alternatives on government formation in Delhi.
The recommendation of Jung will from the Home Ministry to the Union Cabinet, which will subsequently advise the President. And it’s up to the President to accept or reject that advice. If in case, he accepts it, then the single largest party will be asked to name its leader who will then be invited to take over as chief minister.
“It has been learnt that BJP is being increasingly looked upon as the only option to end the deadlock, following which the L-G is likely to invite the party to form the government in the city,” as said by a highly placed source in Delhi government.
Earlier, the BJP made it clear that it was ready for a re-poll. BJP Delhi in-charge Nitin Gadkari said, “We do not want to break any party or purchase any MLA.”
The BJP in the 70-member Assembly, has 31 sitting MLAs, including one MLA from Shiromani Akali Dal lending support, was the largest party but ‘said no’ to form the government after the Delhi assembly polls last December, saying it did not have a majority.
The number of BJP MLAs has come down to 28 as three party legislators have been elected to Lok Sabha. With this the BJP party is looking forward to come to power only if legislators from AAP or the Congress switch sides and catapult it from its existing strength of 28 to the magic numeral of 36.
But the anti-defection law (see accompanying box) makes that very tough: two-thirds of the MLAs of any party have to defect as a block.
Moreover, the recent Bihar by poll bombshell has left the BJP walking on eggshells, and it may not be up to such tactical maneuvering. That’s where the Independents and hermit come in.
And now Rambir Shokeen, Shoaib Iqbal and Vinod Kumar Binny can be the game changers for BJP.
After Shokeen withdrew his support to the Aam Aadmi Party in December, not only did he punt against Kejriwal’s lack of ability to fulfil his poll promises, but he has also been extending unstated support to the BJP.
“I am going to extend full support to BJP if they decide to form the government. Modi is a great administrator and it will be an honour to work under his leadership,” Shokeen said.
Similarly, Janata Dal (United)’s solo MLA from Matia Mahal – Shoaib Iqbal – had been extremely critical of AAP. But, Iqbal has now done a turnaround, stating that “the question of supporting BJP does not arise.” He claimed to argue with the party for their politics and their ideology, thereby coming to an understanding to support either Congress or AAP.
Simultaneously, expelled AAP leader Vinod Kumar Binny, who felled Sheila Dikshit’s health minister A.K. Walia in the Laxmi Nagar constituency of East Delhi, had showed aggression to his party and the government for allegedly doing a volte face on the promises made in the election manifesto, including on power and water sectors.
AAP leaders apprehended the opportunity and countered his charges, saying he was disappointed about not being given a ministerial berth in Delhi cabinet.
Following that, BJP extended an open invitation to the rebel MLA. The BJP does not want to form a government and does not want to indulge in horse-trading. But now it seems the scenario has change.