New Delhi: With the Election Commission’s (EC) recommendation of disqualifying 20 AAP MLAs for holding office-of-profit in the city government, Delhi BJP is eyeing the mid-term polls in the national capital by a coup with the help of the disgruntled legislators of Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP.
The Delhi BJP has claimed that over one-and-a-half-dozen AAP MLAs are against Mr Kejriwal and that they may resign once the 20 legislators are disqualified. Sources said that a Delhi BJP delegation is likely to meet President Ram Nath Kovind, demanding earlier acceptance of the EC recommendation disqualifying the 20 AAP MLAs.
A well-placed source in BJP, who is keeping a close eye on the developments after the EC recommendation, told this newspaper that there are many dissidents in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). He said that once the President gives his nod to the EC recommendation, these voices will came out in the open against their party leadership. This may turn the calculations against the Kejirwal government on the floor of the Assembly.
“There are several voices of dissent within the party. As per our information, there are 20 MLAs who are unhappy with Mr Kejriwal’s way of functioning. Twenty MLAs are to be disqualified, more are facing similar allegations as members of ‘Rogi Kalyan Samiti,’ and 20 are likely going against their own leadership. Midterm poll in Delhi is inevitable as Mr Kejriwal will be left with no option other than resigning as chief minister or recommending dissolution of the Delhi Assembly,” he added.
The Delhi BJP, which is working overtime to return to power after 20 years, has called an emergency meeting of its state office bearers, on Friday late evening, to discuss its future plan of action. A senior leader said that the party will discuss the political development, which has surfaced after the EC recommendation and the party’s poll preparations.
“We are meeting to discuss our strategy for the possible midterm polls after the disqualification of 20 MLAs and the possible revolt within AAP,” he added.
