JOIN USJung's move will encourage horse-trading, says Kejri
As Delhi was put under President’s rule, outgoing chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday questioned Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung’s decision not to recommend the dissolution of the 70-member Assembly.
The BJP and the Congress said they respected the Lieutenant Governor’s recommendation for imposition of the President’s rule, sent a day after Kejriwal and his cabinet members resigned.
Though the Kejriwal cabinet had suggested to Jung on Friday to dissolve the 70-member Assembly, the Lieutenant Governor did not do so and recommended President’s rule and suspension of the Assembly, said sources.
Kejriwal tweeted: “Why suspended animation of delhi assembly? Wud it not encourage horse trading?”
Former Delhi Chief Scretary Omesh Saigal said Jung was well within his rights to take the decision.
“As Delhi has a special status, the Lieutenant Governor can disagree with the suggestion of the government in the city.”
He said the Union Home Ministry can keep the Assembly under suspended animation up to six months and any extension in the suspension of the House beyond that period would need the President’s approval.
Saigal said even for revoking the decision to keep the Assembly under suspended animation any time before the next six months, the president’s nod will be necessary.
Jung’s move of not dissolving the Assembly, in a way, keeps the option open for any political party or a combination of parties to try and form a government in future as was seen in the case of Jharkhand, he said.
Raj Niwas sources said Jung’s report was prepared after seeking opinion from the Union Law Ministry. The Lieutenant Governor’s recommendation came at a time when the BJP, the single largest party in the Assembly with 32 MLAs, showed little interest to stake claim to form a government.
Leader of BJP Legislature Party Harsh Vardhan said: “If and when Lieutenant Governor decides to hold fresh elections we would be ready.”
“There is not much excitement about forming the government,” he said, adding that there also was a collective view among party legislators that they did not want to go elections in the next three
months.
Former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit of the Congress also said it was for the Lieutenant Governor and the Union Home Ministry to decide when to hold fresh Assembly elections in the Capital.
She also blamed the AAP government for its own failure. “They started going beyond the Constitution...and failed,” said Dikshit.