AAP seeking Cong help a betrayal of people's verdict: Vardhan

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Harsh Vardhan on Monday said the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP’s) decision to form a government in Delhi with the Congress’ help was a betrayal of people’s verdict.

“The AAP fought the election on the anti-corruption plank and now they have taken support from a party that has been completely rejected by the people of Delhi. This proves that AAP is hungry for power,” Vardhan said.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led party had taken the poll plunge, stressing the problems of aam aadmi (commoners) and declaring a war against corruption.

Vardhan, the BJP’s chief ministerial candidate in the 2013 elections, had earlier said the AAP was the ‘B’ team of the Congress.

“The AAP had entered into a secret understanding with the Congress...They acted like an ally of the ruling Congress during the elections,” Vardhan had said.

The BJP, which emerged as the single largest party in the assembly elections, has denied forming the government due to the lack of required numbers.

The saffron party bagged 32 of the 70 seats in the December 4 elections. The AAP made a spectacular poll debut, winning 28 assembly constituencies. The Congress was routed and managed to get just eight seats.

After the BJP decided against the government formation, the AAP told Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung that it needed 10 days to decide its course of action. The AAP then held what it called a referendum to ask people whether it should form a minority government.

With the possibility of a President’s rule becoming stronger, the AAP on Sunday said its referendum had received an overwhelmingly positive response.

“Around 70% of the people of Delhi had given their mandate and chosen their representative and now you go out on streets and ask some hundreds of people to give a mandate that is an insult to the real dimension of democracy,” Vardhan said on Monday.

In the last few days, some BJP MLAs maintained that an AAP-Congress government will expose AAP chief Kejriwal.

The claim has been strongly countered by the AAP, who have pointed the finger at the BJP for not accepting the mandate to form a government.

(With IANS inputs)

First Published: Dec 23, 2013 13:12 IST