While senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders have been learnt to explore the possibility of government formation in Delhi with Congress support, a substantial section of the AAP now feels that the party should focus on building support and gear up for fresh elections.
Party leader Devinder Sehrawat, who was earlier in favour of avoiding re-elections, now feel that the party needs to prepare for re-polls. “The time for forming the government has passed. At this point, no serious thought can be given to taking support from the Congress for government formation,” Sehrawat, who fought the Assembly elections from the Bijwasan seat, said.
“The problem is that the Congress party’s top leadership is now aware that a large section of their voters have tilted in the AAP’s favour. It is not surprising that there is a constant attempt to project the AAP in a bad light. There is no possibility of forming government now,” he said. Other Assembly candidates believe that the party needs to focus on strengthening its supporter base.
“The party should work on mobilising support. There are a lot of local level issues that we have to bring to light — especially the corruption in municipal bodies,” Harish Awasthi, who had fought the Assembly elections from Rithala, said.
At a party meeting in May, several MLAs had urged AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal to form the government in Delhi. Moreover, the AAP had written to Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung, asking him to refrain from dissolving the Delhi Assembly as the party wanted to seek public opinion on forming the government in Delhi. The Congress, on the other hand, had maintained that it would not extend support to the AAP again. Following this, the AAP chief had admitted that while the party wanted to hold a referendum on the issue, a series of “political developments” at that time had taken away this option from the party.
Despite this, AAP MLA from Rohini, Rajesh Garg, has urged the party leadership and the Congress to look at the option of forming government in Delhi. “We should avoid spending crores of rupees on another round of elections. Most MLAs — not just from the AAP, but also from other political parties — do not want to go in for fresh polls. I request the AAP and the Congress to explore the option of government formation in Delhi,” Garg said.