AAP, Cong in self-serving exercise, govt won't last long: BJP

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Dec 24 2013 | 6:17 PM IST
BJP today alleged that Congress and AAP were collaborating to form government in a "self- serving" exercise with "dishonourable" motive, as Congress wants a breather and fears another electoral humiliation while AAP was keen to prevent its MLAs from being "scattered".
Predicting that such a government will not last long, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said, "Both Congress and the AAP have entered in to this political adjustment with a self serving motive.
"Each wants to outfox the other. The Congress wants the AAP to make a few mistakes so that it can recover its constituency and then force a poll."
In an article, Jaitley said that Congress has chosen to get insulted and become the B-team of AAP by supporting its government as in an event of an early re-election it would get squeezed out even more.
The BJP leader charged AAP with falling to the temptation of forming a government in Delhi to have a national presence. To achieve this, AAP resorted to a "farcical referendum" and went back on its commitment of not taking support of the Congress.
Congress, Jaitley maintained, is a clear loser in these elections with only eight seats.
"Congress cannot afford an early re-election. It needs breathing time to recover. If no government had been formed in Delhi, a re-election could have been held along with Lok Sabha polls. In that event, the 'Modi factor' would also have influenced the outcome of the polls," Jaitley said.
A re-election in Delhi would be polarized between the BJP and the AAP with the Congress squeezed out even more, he added.
BJP maintained that this "convergence of two contradictory interests" is self-serving and is not likely to last long.
"Government formation would help it (AAP) to prevent its MLAs getting scattered. Government formation in the national capital in its assessment would further enable it to make its presence felt nationally. The AAP knows that such a government cannot be a lasting one. It, therefore, takes a calculated risk. It continues to denigrate the Congress and take its support," Jaitley said.
Meanwhile, Congress has chosen to get insulted in order to defer the prospects of another electoral humiliation, he said.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Dec 24 2013 | 6:17 PM IST

Next Story