AAP seeks 10 days, writes letter to Congress, BJP

New Delhi – The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Saturday sought 10 days from Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung to decide on government formation, while shooting off letters to the Congress and the BJP to know their stand on 18 issues concerning the people.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) described the debutant party as arrogant, while the Congress said it would respond in “a day or two”.

Jung said he will submit a “factual” report to President Pranab Mukherjee following his meeting with the AAP.

AAP founder leader Arvind Kejriwal, 45, met Jung after the BJP, which netted 31 seats in the 70-member assembly – falling short of a majority – Thursday said it was not in a position to form the government.

The AAP netted 28 seats and finished second leaving Delhi with a hung house! . The Congress, which was a poor third with barely eight seats, submitted a letter Friday to the Lt Governor stating that it was ready to provide unconditional support to AAP.

The AAP said it will know the real intentions of Congress’ “unconditional support” and BJP’s willingness to support them in government formation only after the two respond to the letter AAP dispatched to Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and BJP president Rajnath Singh.

Responding to the letter, Congress general secretary Shakeel Ahmed told IANS: “Sonia Gandhi has marked Arvind Kejriwal’s letter to me and we will frame a reply and respond to it in a day or two.”

BJP leader Balbir Punj said: “What is this height of arrogance? The party has got 28 seats in the assembly elections and instead of thinking of how to form the government, the leaders from the party are busy making baseless allegations against the other parties.”

“AAP wants to dictate their terms to other political partie! s. We will not get into this. If this keeps on happening, how will the ! AAP make the promises made to the people a reality,” said Punj, a Rajya Sabha MP.

Kejriwal, accompanied by party members Manish Sisodia and Kumar Vishwas, met Jung Saturday morning.

He later told mediapersons that the Congress as well as the BJP should make their “stand clear” on the issues that they have raised.

He said that in the letter sent to the Congress and the BJP, “we have talked to put a halt on the VIP culture availed by all the members of the legislative assembly in the state, (living in) the big bungalows and investigating all the scams under the Congress government and the BJP at the municipality level”.

The MLA fund allocation system will also be abolished and none of the legislators will be entitled to any funds from the government if AAP forms the government, he added.

The Jan Lokpal bill will be passed and those Congress and BJP leaders, who face allegations of corruption, will be investigated.

“The real intention! behind the unconditional support is to be known at any cost, because we have not demanded any support from the Congress and the BJP till now,” added Kejriwal.

He said that he was amazed to know of the Congress’ letter Friday night.

Kejriwal said they will give their final decision on the matter Dec 24.

Shortly after the meeting with Kejriwal, Jung’s office issued a release saying the Lt Governor will submit a factual report to the president in the matter.

During the meeting, Kejriwal said that he would be in a position to form a government only after ascertaining the views of the people, the release said.