Video expose: Careless BJP gives AAP opportunity to restore its credibility

This time the Aam Aadmi Party has done it well. The net impact of their sting operation is that the process of government formation in Delhi, if at all that was real, would come to a halt.

AAP’s expose no doubt is deeply embarrassing for the BJP as a party but it has lent strength to voices in the BJP which were opposed to any attempts to form government. It scares those who had taken the onus of managing numbers for the party and prove their utility.

Delhi BJP MLA and national secretary, RP Singh told Firstpost: “My position is clear. Since we don’t have clear majority, we will not form the government. We will go for fresh elections. That is the only option.” When asked if his party shares his views, Singh said, he is “national secretary of the party”.

Incidentally, there were many who believed that all talks and related news leaks were part of a time buying tactic to avoid elections in Delhi in this round of assembly elections, with Haryana and Maharashtra. Firstpost had earlier reported that. The Centre and the LG’s office were under pressure from the apex court to respond its position on the subject – whether there was any initiative to form a government or fresh elections were to be held. The expose has changed the game.

A senior Delhi BJP leader requesting anonymity told Firstpost that “henceforth no one in the party would be talking about managing numbers. Even if some one from AAP or the Congress genuinely wanting to defect to our party, I don’t think he would find any one willing in the BJP to talk to him. He too may be stung. The fear of being on tape would be too much. There have been some enthusiasts in our party who thought we must try and take a chance. But the reality is that we don’t have the right numbers to form the government and we all must accept it”.

Also the presidential nod (based on advise given by the Union government) for exploring the possibilities of government formation is still awaited. The LG has so far not invited the BJP which is also the single largest party. Sources said since the matter is listed for hearing in the Supreme Court on Tuesday, the future course would depend on how the court responds to this expose. Kejriwal has said he would place raw footage of video to the Supreme Court.

AAP, for now, can pat on its back. Delhi BJP vice president Sher Singh Dagar caught on tape, allegedly negotiating with AAP MLA Dinesh Mohania who posed as a willing defector for a price, has energised Kejriwal and his team. A series of events had discredited and demoralised AAP. Kejriwal was looking for something that could restore some semblance of credit to him and make his followers feel enthused. Dagar gave him that opportunity.

A section of BJP leaders are very critical of state unit party chief Satish Upadhyay for his “new found love for TV bite” who kept on giving an impression that the BJP was desperately trying to form a government in Delhi. His decision to hurriedly meet former party president and Home Minister Rajnath Singh, after the news leak that LG may invite BJP to form a government, and give them a “positive” feedback is also being questioned.

“At a time when all senior leaders generally went on silent mode after declaration of parliamentary election results, Upadhyay who got this post at a young age without much exposure perhaps didn’t realise pitfalls of over exposure. He would not have authorised likes of Sher Singh Dagar to negotiate on party’s behalf but that what if someone takes a cue and starts working on a game of one-upmanship on his own,” another BJP leader said.

Dagar is likely to get a notice from the BJP to explain his conduct. But the damage has been done for the party.

Kejirwal had publicly asked his MLAs to negotiate with whosoever approaches and do a sting operation on them. The BJP had to approach someone for numbers, alternatively the BJP leader could talk if some one from AAP or Congress approached them. AAP smartly cultivated an unsuspecting Dagar as its target and stung him. Just that Kejriwal didn’t wait to be approached, instead asked his MLAs to approach. He succeeded in his endeavour by slightly tweaking the game format. The BJP stood bruised and somewhat exposed, if contents of the tape are true.

“It was wrong on our part, even to give an impression that we were attempting to form government in Delhi, particularly when we knew what all could be at stake. Some of us wanted to play with fire and in the process not just got their own fingers bunt but also impacted image of the party,” another BJP leader rued.