New Delhi: Apprehensive that rival parties may poach away its MLAs in Delhi, Congress on Wednesday demanded fresh Assembly polls in the national capital and expressed concern over any attempts at horse-trading.
"BJP can stoop to any low to gain power. Since they have a government at the Centre, why are they afraid to hold fresh elections in Delhi?
"Even AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal is alleging that BJP is resorting to such tactics," party spokesperson Shobha Oza told reporters here in reaction to reports that at least six of the eight Delhi Congress MLAs were ready to form a separate group and extend support to a BJP government.
"We feel that these are rumours spread by BJP," she added. Congress has eight MLAs in the Delhi Assembly.
BJP has of late hinted that it is ready to form the government in the national capital, nearly six months after the party refused to take the plunge citing its lack of majority in the 70-member House.
Newly-appointed Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay, having twice met his party's MLAs and MPs on the issue, has said the party will consider taking a shot at government-formation if invited to do so by the Lt Governor.
Sources said that almost all the MLAs and MPs in question are in favour of the party forming the government. A final decision on the issue is likely to be taken after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from Brazil, where he has gone to attend the BRICS summit.
BJP had won 31 seats in the December Assembly elections in Delhi and also had the support of the lone SAD legislator. Its current strength in the House is, however, at 28 seats after three of its MLAs won in the recent parliamentary polls.
With the resignation of the three MLAs, the strength of the Assembly has come down to 67 and the simple majority mark would be 34.
Apart from its SAD allay, BJP will require the support of five additional MLAs to prove its majority in the Assembly and the sources said the party was confident of getting them.
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