Delhi govt formation: SC finds LG's efforts positive

The Supreme Court today expressed satisfaction over Lt Governor Najeeb Jung's recent moves to explore the possibility of government formation in Delhi and said that he should be given more time as "there could be a minority government with outside support".
Referring to recent media reports, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice H L Dattu said, "Whatever I have read in newspapers, it appears that the LG has made positive moves."
The bench asked Prashant Bhushan, counsel for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which has filed a plea seeking dissolution of the Assembly, to wait for sometime as the LG had started the consultation process with the political players in the national capital and adjourned the matter till November 11.

During the brief hearing, the bench also comprising justices J Chelameswar, A K Sikri, R K Agrawal and Arun Mishra, said that if the LG feels that there is a possibility of government formation, then he should be given time to explore it.
On the possibility of government formation, the bench said, "There could be a minority government with an outside support of some political outfit."
Bhushan, however, said that there was no possibility of government formation in the national capital in view of the position of political parties in the legislative assembly.

"We should always live in hope," the bench said asking the counsel for AAP to wait till November 11 when it will again hear the matter.

The LG had yesterday decided to invite political parties to explore possibility of government formation in Delhi.
Earlier, the apex court was informed by the Centre that the President has given his consent to LG's proposal to invite BJP to form government.
The court had also rapped the Centre and the LG over the delay, saying that in a democracy, President's Rule cannot go on forever and questioned why the authorities failed to act expeditiously.
At the moment, a party needs the support of 34 MLAs for a simple majority in a House of 70 with three vacancies which are to be filled in by-elections late next month.

BJP had emerged the single largest party after the Assembly polls in December last year with 31 seats apart from the support of ally Akali Dal's one MLA in the 70-member House. But its numbers have now come down to 28 after three of its legislators--Harsh Vardhan, Ramesh Bidhuri and Pervesh Verma--were elected to Lok Sabha.