Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has accused Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung of encouraging horse-trading of MLAs by unnecessarily delaying dissolution of the Delhi assembly.
He reiterated his claim that BJP leaders have contacted his MLAs with offers of money and ministerial berths. Kejriwal also accepted that Manish Sisodia had a meeting with Congress MLA Mateen Ahmed but said government formation was not the agenda of the meeting.
‘LG is deliberately delaying the dissolution of Delhi assembly to provide time to the BJP to purchase MLAs to form government. He is indirectly hiking the rates of MLAs in the market,’ said Kejriwal in an interview with a television channel on Saturday. Bis crore mein kam nahi chal raha to pachis crore or tis crore kar do (If Rs 20 crore per MLA is not sufficient make it Rs 25 or Rs 30 crore). His delaying tactics is only to increase the price of MLAs,’ alleged Kejriwal. He added that the decision to dissolve the assembly can be taken in five minutes. ‘What is the LG waiting for?
There is no possibility of government formation without horse trading. LG should call all three parties– BJP, AAP and Congress, and confront them to clear who wants to support whom.
‘It will be clear in five minutes that there is no other way but to dissolve the assembly,’ argued Kejriwal. The statement came hours before the LG gave an appointment to Kejriwal for Monday. He also alleged that the LG is serving the interests of the BJP to save his chair. He alleged that BJP leaders and their representatives have contacted AAP MLAs, Rajesh Garg, Commando Surendra Kumar, Dharmendra Koli and several others.
‘As soon as they are approached, our MLAs inform us. And we expose the efforts at horse trading,’ claimed Kejriwal. He said he has evidence to prove his allegations and would reveal all in proper time.
He reiterated that AAP is for honest politics. He went on to challenge Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhayay and Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh to submit to the LG and Supreme Court in writing that they are in favour of elections. ‘If the new BJP chief is serious about elections, he must give it to the LG in writing,’ he said.