Delhi elections: The stakes are highest for AAP

The Bharatiya Janata Party is keen to return to power in Delhi but not at the cost of losing its high moral ground, says Upasna Pandey

The Bharatiya Janata Party has a month’s time to cobble a majority in Delhi after the Supreme Court asked the Union government to file its reply by October 10 on the formation of a government in Delhi. This opens the doors to more political drama with the other prime contender, Aam Aadmi Party, facing the most daunting time of its existence.

AAP is pushing for fresh polls in the hope to regain credibility and the BJP is hoping to reach the right number of seats to stake claim to return back to power after 15 years.

As the capital’s fate hangs in balance, the AAP has its existence at stake, the BJP could lose its moral high ground and the Congress is hoping that the mess continues as long as possible, giving them time to regroup and rebuild. 

The stakes are the highest for AAP. Their best option would be to return to power with help from the Congress, in the name of keeping the BJP out of power. Sources indicate that the party has reached out to the Congress but the response has not been “very positive” as the Congress has little to gain from supporting AAP again.

Fresh polls, sources say, might be the second best option for AAP. Party insiders feel that since there is already some decline in the popularity of the BJP, the Congress is not in a position to pose a strong challenge to the AAP as of now.

The polls could see AAP returning with a slightly higher number of seats, if not a majority, and forming the next government with help from the Congress, if need be.

AAP is opposing the BJP’s chance to form the government as it fears being pushed to the margins and the Congress gaining time to rebuild and regroup. The Congress could emerge as the default opposition, even though they might be numerically weaker than the AAP.

This explains the strong and direct attack on the BJP and the focus of the ‘sting’ on BJP Delhi Vice-president Sher Singh Dagar.

“It is a now or never situation and BJP is desperate to form the government in the capital and the only way it will happen is through horse-trading, which is exposed in the sting videos,” said an AAP leader who did not want to be named.

He insisted that “an independent body can check the authenticity of the videos.”

However, this is also being seen as an attempt to draw away the attention from AAP’s floundering relevance as a movement. 

The BJP is playing the wait and watch game. With the Supreme Court giving them a month, it is clear that the Delhi polls will not happen before the crucial Maharashtra and Haryana Vidhan Sabha elections. The party is keen to return to power but not at the cost of losing its high moral ground.

“I have asked Dagar to explain the video to the party. We are not affected by AAP’s allegations. They are acting out of desperation to somehow stall the BJP,” said Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay.

He dismissed the allegations insisting that “we are only going to think of government formation when we are asked to do so by the LG. We will have to look at the macro elements of this; we are not doing it right now.” He said the BJP would come out unscathed from AAP’s tactics to tarnish its image.

The stakes are the lowest for the Congress as the party finished third in both the 2013 Vidhan Sabha elections and the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

Delhi Congress President Arvinder Singh Lovely has been quoted as saying, “The Congress has been very firm about not supporting either the BJP or the AAP. We are involved with neither. One of the parties clearly is a buyer and the other has goods to sell.”

Fresh polls are not likely to help the Congress while a resurgent AAP would only add to its troubles. The Congress' options are limited and they have little control over what happens next.

While the BJP’s political management skills would be tested over the coming days, AAP carders are regretting their decision to resign after 49-days in power. It will be a test of AAP’s political prowess like never before.