BJP brass decides against forming govt in Delhi

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has given up the plans to form government in the National Capital Territory for now. A decision in this regard was conveyed on Saturday to the newly-appointed Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay by his national counterpart Amit Shah.

According to well-placed sources, despite the pressure brought by the party MLAs to examine the possibility of government formation, the central leadership decided to remain ambivalent on the matter and allow the effect of a populist budget presented by finance minister Arun Jaitley for Delhi in Parliament to have its effect and let ‘achche din’ (good days) come.

Jaitley has significantly allotted a huge financial subsidy which would bring down the power tariff for 80 percent of the consumers in the national capital by 30 per cent. 

This section of population in the last assembly elections went with the newbie Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and remained steadfast in their support during the Lok Sabha polls which followed. 

Huge funds have also been allotted for the development work in unauthorised colonies, which once again are believed to be strongholds of the AAP.

Though the BJP had managed to get the support of the middle class and other sections back in the Lok Sabha polls, the absence of a credible face at the state level especially after the elevation of Harsh Vardhan to the national Cabinet, has made the central leadership reluctant as far as government formation in the city went.

‘We have a BJP government at the Centre and BJP-controlled administration in all the three municipal corporations. 

‘These two agencies are sufficient to establish the credentials of the BJP as a party capable of giving good governance. Once our pro-people policies start having effect, we can go to the people asking for their vote,’ said a senior state party leader.

Talking to reporters on Sunday after meeting Home Minister and former party president Rajnath Singh with a delegation of municipal corporation leaders, Upadhyay said, ‘If elections are announced tomorrow, we are fully ready to face it. We are confident of getting a clear mandate to rule Delhi.’ But he refused to state if any timeline has been decided for holding the elections.

Sources said that since under the NCT Act, the President’s rule in the state could be extended up to a year, the polls could be held sometime in the coming winters. 

‘As it is several states like Haryana, Maharashtra and Jammu & Kashmir would be going to polls, the elections for Delhi assembly could also be held with them,’ said party sources.

As part of the strategy, the party has already started the move to ‘strengthen’ the three municipal corporations. In this regard a delegation of leaders from the corporations met Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday. 

One of the main demands of the delegation was to remove freeze on recruitment at all levels in the corporations, which was imposed by Sheila Dikshit government in 2004.