Cabinet approves dissolution of Delhi assembly, BJP to fight polls under collective leadership

New Delhi, IANS 4 November 2014

The union cabinet Tuesday recommended the dissolution of the Delhi assembly, informed sources said.

The decision was taken after leaders of the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress Monday told Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung that they wanted elections to end months of political uncertainty.

The Delhi election threw up a fractured mandate, with the BJP refusing to form the government despite winning 31 seats.

The AAP came a close second with 28 seats, an electoral performance that stunned the nation, and formed a minority government with Congress backing.

But the government collapsed after 49 days as chief minister and AAP founder-leader Arvind Kejriwal resigned after failing to pass a Jan Lokpal Bill.

The national capital has been under President’s rule since Feb 17.

Delhi BJP leader Satish Upadhyay expressed confidence about his party’s victory.

“We will repeat our performance of Haryana and Maharashtra,” he said.

The BJP, for the first time, has formed its own governments in Haryana and Maharashtra.

Will fight Delhi polls collectively, says state BJP chief

Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay Tuesday said the party would fight the Delhi assembly elections under a “collective leadership” and expressed confidence that the party will win.

“Our MLAs are ready for fresh polls and we will fight under a collective leadership,” Upadhyay said, welcoming the union cabinet’s recommendation to dissolve the Delhi assembly.

“We will repeat our performance of Haryana and Maharashtra,” he said.

Upadhyay added that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would fight the polls on the plank of “good governance” and “trust”.

He, however, refused to name the party’s chief ministerial candidate for Delhi.

“It’s too early to talk about the CM candidate. The party will decide at the right time and will choose a leader through a democratic process,” he said, adding that he was not in the race for the post.

The union cabinet’s decision to dissolve the Delhi assembly came after leaders of the BJP, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress Monday told Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung that none of the parties was in a position to form the government and they wanted fresh elections in Delhi.

Delhi has been under President’s rule since Feb 17.

The Delhi elections in December last year threw up a fractured mandate, with the BJP emerging as the single largest party, winning 31 seats and enjoying support of a lone Akali Dal legislator in a house of 70 members. But the BJP refused fo form the government.

The AAP came a close second with 28 seats, and formed a minority government with the Congress backing.

But the government collapsed after 49 days as chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP founder-leader, resigned after failing to get a Jan Lokpal Bill passed.