Race for Oppn in Delhi heats up

• Prashant Bhushan’s remarks personal, says Kejriwal
• Let BJP and Congress join hands and run govt: AAP
• BJP not power-hungry, will sit in Oppn: Harsh
• You all are still candidates: Gadkari to new MLAs

New Delhi: With the deadlock continuing in Delhi after a hung verdict in the recently concluded Assembly elections, Congress on Tuesday indicated that it was mulling giving outside support to Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Admi Party (AAP). "A number of senior leaders of Delhi are of the opinion that we should give unconditional support to AAP to form a government.

They believe that we should extend outside support to it. But, we are talking to MLAs from the state. Their opinion is very important. Once we take their opinion, we will inform the party high command about it," AICC general secretary in-charge for Delhi, Shakeel Ahmed was quoted as saying.

Ahmed's remarks came hours after Kejriwal ruled out support to BJP and termed as "personal opinion" the remarks of party leader Prashant Bhushan, who told a TV channel that AAP may consider supporting BJP if the party gives AAP in writing that it will pass the Jan Lokpal Bill.

As the developments unfolded in the day, BJP's CM candidate Harsh Vardhan and senior party leaders told the newly-elected party MLAs to get ready for fresh elections. “Don't consider yourself as MLAs but as candidates,” former party president Nitin Gadkari was quoted as telling the legislators.

Gadkari reportedly said the party was not keen to win over legislators from other parties to cobble a majority in the house. Endorsing Gadkari's view, Harsh Vardhan also said that his party is not power-hungry, so it would be content sitting in the Opposition. Earlier this morning, Kejriwal said that AAP won't prop up the BJP in Delhi's hung assembly.

Speaking a day after senior colleague Prashant Bhushan suggested giving issue-based support to the BJP, Kejriwal said: "Neither we will take support nor give support (to form a government). There is no question. We will sit in Opposition." Kejriwal instead advised the BJP to take power with the help of the Congress, which has eight legislators.

"Let the BJP and Congress join hands... Both indulge in corruption. The BJP is the single largest party. Let them join hands with the Congress and form a government," Kejriwal said AAP leader and lawyer Prashant Bhushan's suggestion that AAP could give selective support for a BJP government was his personal view.

"It (was) his personal opinion," he said. "(What I am saying) is the party's opinion." "I appeal to all good people, good organisations and good political forces to unite as this is a historic moment to change the country...Join us, we will move out of the way and give preference to you. There are no ego issues, we all need to come together," Kejriwal said.

The onus is on BJP as the single largest party followed by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to form the new government in Delhi and the Centre will not interfere in the present logjam, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said. "What can we do? We will have to wait and watch...We cannot do anything. Whatever is to be done, has to be done by the two parties (BJP and AAP)," Shinde.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said Congress should offer "unconditional support" to AAP. Hooda said if the decision had to be taken by him and if the matter was left to him, he would take the decision, "so that the people are benefited". "My personal opinion is that the Congress should unconditionally support them so that they (AAP) can form the government and deliver promises to the people on power, water and other issues," Hooda said.