As reports from Maharashtra and Haryana indicate that the BJP will perform well in the upcoming Assembly polls, the top leadership of the RSS has advised party leaders in Delhi to get ready for elections in the Capital, where the Assembly has been in suspended animation since February 2014.
A few BJP leaders in Delhi want to avoid polls and form the government, but party insiders claimed that RSS leaders think otherwise.
The Sangh Parivar feels contesting fresh Assembly polls would be a better option for the BJP to form a government in the Capital.
On Saturday, some BJP leaders held a meeting with senior RSS functionaries, including Bhaiyaji Joshi.
A BJP leader said the RSS leaders clearly suggested that forming a government through other means in the current situation would not send a good message to people.
“The RSS leaders also referred to the BJP’s position in Maharashtra and Haryana, where the party is expecting victory. They were of the view that the situation in Delhi is also in favour of the party,” a BJP leader said.
The BJP, which is fighting the electoral battle under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is expected to take a call on the Delhi Assembly polls only after the results of Maharashtra and Haryana elections are announced on October 19.
In both states, the BJP has not projected its prospective chief ministerial candidate and the party is banking on the “Modi magic”.
“Positive results for the BJP will mean that Delhi might go for fresh Assembly polls,” said an insider.
A lot of deliberations have been held within the BJP to decide whether the party should form a government in the current political scenario in Delhi.
While Modi will take a final call on the issue, there is a section of leaders which is in favour of government formation without going to fresh polls.
On the other hand, another section of leaders believe that a government in Delhi cannot be formed with the BJP’s current strength in the Assembly and the party should seek fresh mandate.
They are of the view that any attempt to do so will send wrong signals to voters as the party had refused to form government in December even when Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung had invited it for being the single largest party.
In the prevailing situation, the BJP cannot form a government on its own in Delhi. The party’s strength in the Delhi Assembly was reduced to 28 after three of its MLAs — Harsh Vardhan, Ramesh Bidhuri and Pravesh Verma — were elected to the Lok Sabha.
With the support of the lone member of the Akali Dal, the BJP and its allies have 29 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly.