The Delhi Assembly is likely to be kept under suspended animation as both the single largest and the second largest parties are not interested in forming a Government without a simple majority.
Now all eyes are on Najeeb Jung, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. The practice is to call the single-largest party to form the Government. But if the BJP refuses to come forward, the State may head for a re-election.
The BJP and its ally Shiromani Akali Dal could manage just 32 seats in the 70-member Assembly. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) came at a close second with 28 seats.
Though BJP president Rajnath Singh and the party’s Delhi in-charge Nitin Gadkari had claimed on Sunday that it would try to form the next government, a major section within the party is against forming a minority government. The party’s chief ministerial candidate, Harsh Vardhan, had made it clear that he is not interested in forming a Government. Meanwhile, intermediaries are working to find a consensus between the BJP and the AAP.
AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal has said he would prefer re-election than forming an alliance with the two big parties.
The BJP has also said it is against horse trading. “As we don’t have a majority, we are not thinking about forming the government. If the other parties are not ready to form an alliance with us, we won't disturb them or resort to horse trading,” Vardhan had said.
A majority in the BJP leadership believes that giving room for the AAP to work as an opposition may destroy its own chances for the Lok Sabha elections.
There are indications that the “fear” of managing the AAP as the principal Opposition party has forced the BJP to take a high moral ground. A section in the party believes that if the re-election to the Assembly could be held together with the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP can improve its performance. The AAP also believes it will get simple majority after a re-election.