BJP reluctant to form govt in Delhi, says ready to face repoll

Image
Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : Dec 10 2013 | 10:19 PM IST
BJP today asked its newly elected MLAs to be ready for fresh elections, maintaining that it did not have the mandate to form a government and would prefer to sit in the opposition.
BJP's chief ministerial candidate in the assembly polls, Harsh Vardhan, who was today formally elected as the leader of the legislature party at the first meeting of elected MLAs, asked them to be ready for fresh elections.
"It is a sad situation for us and residents of Delhi, but due to present technicalities, government cannot be formed with a fractured mandate. We don't have enough numbers to form a stable government and we are ready to fight the election once again, if such a situation arises," Vardhan told reporters after the meeting.
BJP, along with its ally Akali Dal's one seat, has support of 32 MLAs in the 70-member House. AAP won 28 seats followed by Congress with eight. JD-U has won one seat while the Mundka seat has gone to an Independent.
"We have emerged as the single largest party in assembly polls, but lack a few seats (for majority). We are neither eager nor even trying to form government by any immoral means.
"Whether we form the government or not, we will continue serving people. I today promise that residents of Delhi will not regret electing us as their representatives," Vardhan said.
Delhi BJP President Vijay Goel also reiterated the party's line.
"As we have not got majority, we have decided not to form government by any horse trading and any illegal means. In every election, hundreds of crores of rupees are spent. We would have been happy, had any party formed the government," Goel said.
Expressing confidence that BJP will be able to form government after a re-election, Goel said the party was ready to sit in the opposition and also ready to face re-election.
"I am confident that like this time, we will once again emerge as number one party in the election and will get majority to form the government," he said, adding that the party is not seeking anyone's support.
*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 10 2013 | 10:19 PM IST

Next Story