Congress will bounce back in Delhi: Sheila Dikshit

In her first address to party workers after the Congress was swept out of power in the Delhi assembly polls, former chief minister Sheila Dikshit exuded confidence Monday and said her party would "bounce back".

Dikshit said the BJP and AAP were both evading responsibility and "running away" from forming the government.

"The Congress has always bounced back, every time, after lagging behind in the election race," Dikshit said.

"Both major parties in the new assembly have been running away from their responsibilities of government formation as they are not sure about their governing capabilities," she said in an apparent reference to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung first invited the largest party in the state assembly, the BJP, to form the government and on its refusal, the second largest, the AAP. While the BJP said it did not have the numbers, the AAP has put forth a list of 18 points for the consideration of the Congress and the BJP before taking a decision on government formation.

In the results of assembly polls announced Dec 8, the BJP won 31 seats and its ally Akali Dal one. The AAP won 28 seats and the Congress eight while the Janata Dal-United and an independent won a seat each in Delhi's 70-member assembly.