arp2041
BANNED
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2012
- Messages
- 10,406
- Reaction score
- -9
- Country
- Location
Congress may not be in a position to pull the rug under the feet of the AAP
The Aam Aadmi Party’s insistence that it will pass a Jan Lokpal Bill for Delhi and have alleged scams during the 15-year Congress rule investigated has former Ministers worried, especially as it will not be easy for the party to withdraw support to the new government.
But Congress leaders also see it as an opportunity to project take a public stand that the party will not shield corrupt members and to check the rise of the BJP.
“On the face of it, it may appear that the Congress would be in the position to pull the rug under the feet of the AAP at any point of time. But that,” said an All Indian Congress Committee member, “will not be the case.”
There are two reasons for this, he said; “one, on obtaining a vote of confidence on the floor of the House, the AAP does not need to face another trust vote for the next six months. And secondly, if it were to start investigating corruption cases against the Congress, it would be imprudent to expect the BJP to vote against it in such a scenario”.
The Congress leader said just as his party and the BJP could not have come together to form a government in Delhi – they have never allied anywhere else in the country either – it would be improbable to expect them to jointly vote against AAP, that too at a time when it would be seeking to cleanse the polity of Delhi.
Another party leader said even if the Congress were to withdraw support from AAP, it could keep functioning as a minority government till the next vote of confidence. “The question here is whether at that point of time BJP would want to bring it down. Obviously BJP would only want to bring about the downfall of the AAP Government when it feels confident of enough support of the people to form a government on its own in Delhi. At such a moment, would the Congress then be prepared to help BJP realise its dream?”
Realising this, supporters of some former Delhi ministers have held protests against the decision to support an AAP government, but there is also the growing view within the Congress that party vice-president Rahul Gandhi does not want any wrongdoers to be protected, especially at a time when he has ensured the passage of the Lokpal Bill.
AICC general secretary in-charge of Delhi Shakeel Ahmed said the Congress is not really worried about AAP opening up any cases of corruption that may have taken place in the past. “The party had in its 18-point letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi also referred to this issue and stated that its taking support does not mean that it would provide any relaxation in case any evidence of corruption was found against a leader of the Congress.”
Mr. Ahmed said these issues had been discussed by the Congress at the time of extending its support to AAP. “There was a difference of opinion then too within the party, but still a decision [to support] was taken.”
Moreover, the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party has augured well for the Congress in some respects. Most importantly, it checked the surge of the BJP in Delhi. And now the Congress believes that AAP could act as a double-edged sword which would ultimately harm the BJP more in the elections and could end up significantly checking Narendra Modi’s surge in the Hindi heartland.
“For the Congress, there is much more in AAP than mere Delhi politics. It sees in the party a strong weapon to counter the growth of BJP under Modi. So Congress is also seeing AAP as its enemy’s enemy,” said the AICC member.
Congress sees backing to AAP as opportunity to check rise of BJP - The Hindu
One of my EARLIER posts in ANOTHER THREAD.........
The Aam Aadmi Party’s insistence that it will pass a Jan Lokpal Bill for Delhi and have alleged scams during the 15-year Congress rule investigated has former Ministers worried, especially as it will not be easy for the party to withdraw support to the new government.
But Congress leaders also see it as an opportunity to project take a public stand that the party will not shield corrupt members and to check the rise of the BJP.
“On the face of it, it may appear that the Congress would be in the position to pull the rug under the feet of the AAP at any point of time. But that,” said an All Indian Congress Committee member, “will not be the case.”
There are two reasons for this, he said; “one, on obtaining a vote of confidence on the floor of the House, the AAP does not need to face another trust vote for the next six months. And secondly, if it were to start investigating corruption cases against the Congress, it would be imprudent to expect the BJP to vote against it in such a scenario”.
The Congress leader said just as his party and the BJP could not have come together to form a government in Delhi – they have never allied anywhere else in the country either – it would be improbable to expect them to jointly vote against AAP, that too at a time when it would be seeking to cleanse the polity of Delhi.
Another party leader said even if the Congress were to withdraw support from AAP, it could keep functioning as a minority government till the next vote of confidence. “The question here is whether at that point of time BJP would want to bring it down. Obviously BJP would only want to bring about the downfall of the AAP Government when it feels confident of enough support of the people to form a government on its own in Delhi. At such a moment, would the Congress then be prepared to help BJP realise its dream?”
Realising this, supporters of some former Delhi ministers have held protests against the decision to support an AAP government, but there is also the growing view within the Congress that party vice-president Rahul Gandhi does not want any wrongdoers to be protected, especially at a time when he has ensured the passage of the Lokpal Bill.
AICC general secretary in-charge of Delhi Shakeel Ahmed said the Congress is not really worried about AAP opening up any cases of corruption that may have taken place in the past. “The party had in its 18-point letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi also referred to this issue and stated that its taking support does not mean that it would provide any relaxation in case any evidence of corruption was found against a leader of the Congress.”
Mr. Ahmed said these issues had been discussed by the Congress at the time of extending its support to AAP. “There was a difference of opinion then too within the party, but still a decision [to support] was taken.”
Moreover, the rise of the Aam Aadmi Party has augured well for the Congress in some respects. Most importantly, it checked the surge of the BJP in Delhi. And now the Congress believes that AAP could act as a double-edged sword which would ultimately harm the BJP more in the elections and could end up significantly checking Narendra Modi’s surge in the Hindi heartland.
“For the Congress, there is much more in AAP than mere Delhi politics. It sees in the party a strong weapon to counter the growth of BJP under Modi. So Congress is also seeing AAP as its enemy’s enemy,” said the AICC member.
Congress sees backing to AAP as opportunity to check rise of BJP - The Hindu
One of my EARLIER posts in ANOTHER THREAD.........
Last edited:
