AAP open to form Delhi govt; asks LG not to dissolve assembly

Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday asked Lt Governor Najeeb Jung not to dissolve the Delhi assembly anytime soon, saying it will hold public meetings across the city to know whether the party should form the government again.

In a meeting, Kejriwal told Jung that the party was deliberating on whether it should form the government.

Kejriwal also handed over a letter to Jung in which he said that AAP would hold series of public meetings to ascertain people's views on the issue, top sources told PTI.

The AAP leader's change of stand came five days after the party drew a blank in Lok Sabha polls in Delhi. Following AAP's dismal performance, a majority of AAP MLAs had favoured formation of the government by the party again with support of Congress.

A senior AAP leader said the party was planning to hold "referendum" in the city in the next few days to know people's views on the issue.

After quitting government on February 14, Kejriwal and his council of ministers had recommended immediate dissolution of the assembly to pave way for fresh elections.

As Jung did not dissolve the assembly, the party had even filed a petition in the Supreme Court against the Lt Governor's decision.

Hours after Kejriwal's meeting with Jung, Congress ruled out extending support to AAP again if it tries to return to power and said it would prefer fresh polls.

Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said under no circumstances Congress would extend support to AAP to form government and the party would prefer fresh assembly elections to backing Kejriwal who "betrayed" the people of Delhi by quitting power in February.

"It is Congress' decision that under no circumstances we will we extend support to AAP. There is no question of supporting AAP again," Lovely told a press conference.

Sources in AAP said majority of sitting MLAs in the party do not want fresh elections immediately, apprehending that the "Modi wave" may flatten them if polls are held anytime soon.

AAP had surprised many by winning 28 seats in its debut assembly elections in December last year and had later formed the government with outside support from Congress' eight MLAs.

BJP along with its ally Akali Dal's one MLA had won 32 seats in the 70-member assembly. Number of BJP MLAs has come down to 28 as three party legislators Harsh Vardhan, Ramesh Bidhuri and Pervesh Verma have been elected to Parliament.

The government led by Kejriwal had resigned on February 14 after the party's pet project -- the Janlokpal Bill – could not be passed due to opposition from BJP and Congress.

President's Rule was imposed in Delhi on February 17.

The Lt Governor had not favoured dissolution of the assembly and kept it in suspended animation.

Two days back, senior BJP leader Harsh Vardhan said it would prefer fresh election than forming a government through "manipulation".

In the Lok Sabha elections, BJP won all the seven seats in Delhi while AAP came second in all seats. Congress candidates were relegated to third position.

Image: AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal