NEW DELHI: India’s anti-corruption Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is expected to form a minority government in Delhi with the help of the Congress party, which it trounced in recent state elections.
According to the Press Trust of India, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal promised on Sunday to deliver on the assurances in its “strong” manifesto in the clearest indication yet of assuming power.
Noting that the AAP’s week-long public referendum on whether it should form a government with the support of Congress was overwhelmingly positive, Mr Kejriwal was quoted as saying he would meet Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung on Monday after the meeting of the party’s Political Affairs Committee (PAC).
“Though we have got the overwhelming participation of people during the public meetings and about 80 per cent of them have favoured that party should form the government but the final decision would be taken after a meeting of Political Affairs Committee,” Mr Kejriwal told PTI.
After this, he said, he would be meeting Mr Jung on Monday afternoon.
Asked whether he would be able to live up to the promises in the manifesto, Kejriwal said the party would fulfil the ‘strong manifesto’, which was prepared in consultation with experts.
The AAP leader said that some of the things, which are in the manifesto can be implemented “within hours” of forming the government and it would be done. An order for audit of accounts of power distribution companies and issues relating to water is stated to be high on its agenda.
The deadlock over government formation in Delhi continued for nearly two weeks after the announcement of the results on December 8. AAP has 28 seats while Congress with 8 in a House of 70 has agreed to give outside support. BJP is the single largest party with 31 seats in its kitty, but five seats short of a governing majority.