Kumar Vishwas' claim finds little support in AAP camp

Senior party leaders say unaware if BJP approached Vishwas to switch sides; Saffron party threatens to sue

Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas' claim that he was offered Delhi chief minister post by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) has found little room of support from within the party. Amid reports that the BJP may form a minority government if invited by the Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) Najeeb Jung, the party said that it will be unconstitutional to do so.

Senior leader and Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan told Business Standard that he was unaware if Vishwas had been approached by the BJP to switch sides.

"I have no idea about that. You may have to ask him," senior leader and Supreme Court lawyer Prashant Bhushan told Business Standard.

Another party spokesperson refused to comment on Vishwas' statement. Vishwas, AAP's Amethi candidate, had told a daily newspaper that a first time BJP Member of Parliament (MP) had met him after the Lok Sabha elections offering Delhi chief minister's post. Vishwas had claimed that the BJP leader had assured backing by 12 AAP MLAs if he decides to join the party.

The BJP has threatened to take legal action against the AAP leader. "Party strongly refutes such baseless allegations of Kumar Vishwas. BJP is exploring the option of legal action against him," Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay was quoted as saying by news agency Press Trust of India.

Former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti said that "if Vishwas has said all this in such a descriptive manner, it means the incident took place."

Bharti confirmed that this occurrence was well within his knowledge back in May when the BJP leader had approached Vishwas. However, Bharti didn't clarify why the party never made this information public. Bharti instead said, "If the BJP is denying this (Vishwas' statement), where will they get the magical figure (to form the government) from?"

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal was unavailable for comment. Senior leader Manish Sisodia said that the BJP has lost all its confidence after the Lok Sabha elections and is hence getting involved in horse trading.

"The BJP has lost all its confidence despite winning the Lok Sabha elections. They fear that they stand no chance in Delhi," Sisodia said.

He said that asking BJP to form government would be unconstitutional at first place. "The party has already stated that they are not in a position to form the government in the national capital. Hence, asking them to form government itself is unconstitutional," Sisodia said.

He said that the party has been allowed so much time to indulge in defection; however, the party's attempts have failed.

Delhi has been under the President's rule since past six months after its chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had resigned in protest of not being able to pass the Delhi Jan Lok Pal Bill in the Assembly. Since then, the party has been demanding re-elections in the state.

In the 70-member Delhi Assembly, AAP has 27 MLAs, BJP's tally stood at 28 MLAs and Congress at 8 MLAs.

The Supreme Court, on 5 August, gave a five-week deadline to Delhi's L-G to decide the fate of the Delhi government.