Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung meets Rajnath Singh, will discuss government formation with parties

Lieutenant Governor (LG) Najeeb Jung on Wednesday met Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh and discussed the political situation in Delhi, a day after the Supreme Court's rap for continuing with the President's rule in the city.

Sources said the LG conveyed to the Home Minister that he will call all political parties to explore possibilities of forming a government in Delhi, which is under President's rule since February 17 after resignation of AAP government.

The Centre had yesterday told the Supreme Court that President Pranab Mukherjee has accepted an LG proposal that BJP be asked to form the government. The meeting lasted nearly 30 minutes, the sources said.

Rapping the Centre and the LG over the delay, the court had said that in a democracy President's Rule cannot go on forever and questioned why the authorities failed to act expeditiously.

Presently, BJP, along with ally Akali Dal's lone MLA, has 29 legislators and will require the support of five more MLAs to prove majority in the assembly in its current strength of 67 if it decides to form the government.

The total strength of the Delhi Assembly is 70 with three vacancies which are to be filled in bye elections late next month.

AAP had formed the government in Delhi with the support of Congress. The government led by Kejriwal had resigned on 14 February after the party's pet project, the Janlokpal Bill, could not be passed due to opposition from BJP and Congress.

President's Rule was imposed in Delhi on February 17.

Jung had not favoured dissolution of the Delhi assembly as recommended by the council of ministers headed by Kejriwal and kept the assembly in suspended animation.