Following the meeting of the Aam Aadmi Party legislators with the Delhi Lieutenant-Governor, sources in the party said the possibility of an AAP-led government with the help of the Congress MLAs has now been completely ruled out.
With a section of the AAP and the Congress MLAs not wanting fresh polls, both the parties earlier this month had intensified back channel negotiations to explore the possibility of government formation in Delhi. Subsequently, there was a buzz of another AAP-led government.
As late as last week, some Congress MLAs had met a senior AAP leader to discuss the issue.
The performance of the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections had brought the AAP and the Congress back to the negotiation table. A section of MLAs had even gone public saying they did not wish to contest another election.
There was a view in both the parties that when they could come together earlier this year when the AAP had formed the government with the unconditional outside support of the Congress, why can’t they do the same once more.
“There were several ‘informal’ meetings between the leaders of the two parties,” said sources in the Congress. Senior MLA Mateen Ahmad had even said that the AAP leaders were in touch with the Congress MLAs.
But with the AAP making allegations of ‘horse-trading’ a political issue and now meeting the Lieutenant-Governor to demand dissolution of Delhi Assembly, the two parties – Congress and AAP – have drifted apart.
Senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia denied any negotiations with the Congress and said: “We have always been asking for dissolution of Assembly and fresh polls. We had recommended fresh polls even the day we had resigned on February 14.”
