AAP asks for 10 days to decide on govt formation

The AAP made it clear that the party's stand was clear from day one that it would not take or give support to the Congress or the BJP. If at all the Congress or the BJP want to offer support, these parties should first respond to the 18 questions, before AAP can decide on it.

Given the response of Arvind Kejriwal, BJP leader Balbir Punj was provoked to dub Kejriwal’s response as “arrogant.” In a press release, Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung said, “Leader of AAP Legislative Party Arvind Kejriwal met Lt Governor. Referring to the letter of support received from the Congress, Kejriwal said he would be in a position to form a government only after ascertaining the views of the people of Delhi. The Lt Governor will be submitting a factual report to the President of India.”

In a harshly-worded letter to the Congress president, Arvind Kejriwal said, “The Congress has offered its unconditional support to the Aam Aadmi Party without our asking them to do so. The Aam Aadmi Party came into existence to oppose criminal, corrupt and communal politics of the Congress.”

Kejriwal went on to state, “Please clear your stand as we do not want ambiguous statements like Congress and AAP are together in principle or we will clear our stand only when these issues are raised in the Delhi legislature.” In his letter to the Congress, Kejriwal demanded that the party should make its views clear on a range of policy issues, after which he would take the call on whether or not to accept the support of the Congress.

Kejriwal asked whether the Congress would support the AAP on giving more decision-making powers to Mohalla Sabhas; giving full Statehood to Delhi; and audit of accounts of electricity companies. He also asked whether they would be supporting the AAP on issue of electricity meters; putting an end to tanker mafia, which, he said, was being run allegedly in connivance with a few leaders of both the parties.

He asked whether the parties would support them on the issue of repealing of a law, which allows increase in water tariff every year. Would they oppose the FDI in retail in Delhi? Would they support the AAP views on giving subsidy to farmers and not acquiring land without permission of Gram Sabha, Kejriwal wrote.

In his letter, Kejriwal sought the views of Congress and BJP on the issue of ending VIP culture in the national capital. No Minister, MLA or officer would use a red-beacon fitted vehicle, demand no security for themselves and not reside in big bungalows.

Among the other demands are ending the MLA or corporator fund scheme and allotment of the same money through Mohalla Sabha for development of local areas besides giving power to people to decide on expenditure. AAP also sought their views on the passage of Jan Lokpal Bill and asked would they still support his government if their leaders were found involved in corruption.

"After getting response on these issues, we will hold public meetings and ask the people whether we should form government or not," Kejriwal said. While the single-largest party, the BJP, with 31 MLAs, had declined to from the government, the second big party, AAP with 28 seats, claimed that it would not take or give support to the Congress and the BJP for government-formation.

Attacking the BJP, he said their intentions were evident the moment they refused to form the government and stated they were not interested in manipulative politics and horse-trading when they had allegedly done so in other States.