Nothing immoral in BJP forming govt in Delhi: Amit Shah

With moves being made for government formation in Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party may be veering round to the possibility of taking a shot at power with the party chief Amit Shah virtually justifying such a course of action.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh maintained that the party will take a call once a formal proposal is received from Lt Governor Najeeb Jung while he ruled out his party indulging in any horse trading.

The state unit of the party is said to be divided on forming a government without facing fresh elections but sources said the high command was inclined to give it a shot.

A final decision may be taken on the issue at a meeting of the newly-constituted BJP parliamentary board that may be convened early next week, sources said.

Amit Shah told a television channel that the BJP, the single-largest party, has the right to form a government as it has got the mandate in Delhi in both the assembly and Lok Sabha elections and does not see anything immoral in seeking support for it. "Our party got the mandate in the assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Delhi, and we think that mandate stands. I do not find anything immoral in seeking support to form a government," Shah told Rajat Sharma in his Aap Ki Adalat programme on India TV.

"Everybody wants to avoid fresh elections in Delhi," said Shah, adding that "the BJP is the single largest party and it has the right to form a government."

On a day's trip to Jammu and Kashmir to assess the flood situation there, the Home Minister said the Lt Governor is free to call any party for government formation and the BJP is the single largest party. "If invited we will think about it. The BJP does not believe in horse-trading. The BJP will never favour a government with horse-trading," Singh said.

The Delhi BJP is said to be divided in two distinct camps, one strongly favouring the move to form a government and the other suggesting going for a fresh mandate.

Jung has sent a report to President Pranab Mukherjee seeking permission to call the single largest party to take a shot at power though it is well short of majority in the assembly. In his report, Jung gave a detailed analysis of the

political situation in the city and underlined the need to have an elected government for Delhi which is under President's rule since February 17 following resignation of the Aam Aadmi Paty government.

The AAP and the Congress have come down hard on Jung for his report and accused him of promoting "horse-trading".

Last week the parties had cautioned the Lt Governor not to take any "unconstitutional move" by inviting the BJP to form a government. Both the parties have been demanding immediate dissolution of the assembly, saying keeping it in suspended animation will encourage horse-trading.

Image: BJP chief Amit Shah