With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registering an unprecedented victory in Haryana, sources in the Delhi BJP said a fresh round of Assembly elections in Capital seems imminent.
Analysing the electoral victory, a senior party leader said, “The Sunday results have established that the Modi magic is still on and all doubts in the mind of the party leadership over the issue would settle with it.”
“It clearly shows the pro-BJP mood across the country. The win in the neighbouring Haryana is more crucial and it is bound to impact electoral prospects in the Capital. It has pushed the Aam Aadmi Party on the back foot. It is a perfect timing for the party to cash in on the prevailing mood and head into elections,” a senior BJP leader said. “Don’t be surprised if over the next few days you hear some AAP and Congress MLAs raising the pitch that government formation is possible within the existing Assembly,” another BJP leader said.
However, senior BJP leader Jagdish Mukhi, who is also the party’s Haryana in-charge and a frontrunner for the Delhi CM post, said that the Delhi unit “is capable of forming the government in Delhi within 72 hours if the central command directs it to do so”. The Delhi Assembly has been under suspended animation since February. President Rule was imposed in Delhi after the AAP government quit on February 14. The matter is in the Supreme Court, which earlier this month deferred the hearing on the AAP petition, demanding dissolution of the Assembly, to October 28.
With the BJP registering a big win in Haryana and Maharashtra Assembly polls, Mr. Mukhi said, “It is the right time for the central leadership to decide whether it should give a shot at power or head towards elections.”
Mr. Mukhi, however, refused to give a direct answer about how the party would manage the numbers to prove the majority. “Obviously we would form the government with somebody’s support. That is why I am saying we need 72 hours,” he said.
The BJP currently has 29 MLAs, including one from Shiromani Akali Dal, in the 70-member Delhi Assembly. The party needs support of only 34 legislators to form the government as the current strength of House is 67. Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said, “Today’s mandate shows that people’s support is with us. If elections were held in Delhi we would win with a clear majority. However, Delhi condition is different. If the L-G felt the situation is not conducive and invites us in capacity of being the largest party we would assess the situation then.”
