Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal in a rush as floor test 48hrs away, not sure of govt's survival

NEW DELHI: The assembly will open its door on Wednesday to welcome the 70 new MLAs for a seven-day special session. After the oath-taking ceremony, the Arvind Kejirwal-led Aam Aadmi Party government will face a “decisive” vote of confidence on Thursday.

However, the chief minister said on Tuesday that he had just 48 hours to deliver, indicating that the road ahead was uncertain. Explaining the comment, Kejriwal later said, “We do not know politics. We are the aam admi. Congress and BJP know politics so we do not know if our government will be allowed to survive the noconfidence motion. So, for now, I see these 48 hours as critical to do the best for the people of Delhi.”

Although Congress reiterated its promise of outsidesupport to the government on Tuesday, it also warned that before the confidence vote it would demand an answer from Aam Aadmi Party on why it has faltered on its first promise of giving 700 litres of free water to the citizens of Delhi.

If the government manages to win the confidence vote, the next big test will be the speaker’s election on Friday. Aam Aaadmi Party has announced the name of Jangpura MLA M S Dhir as its choice for the speaker’s post.

He may face a contest on Friday with both BJP, the single largest party with 32 MLAs, and Congress, with eight legislators, keeping their options on fielding their own candidate for the post open. If Dhir fails to win, it will be construed as a vote of no confidence against the government and it will fall.

Senior Congress leaders claim the party is unlikely to play the spoilsport and likely to allow the AAP nominee to become the speaker to put the party manifesto to test. Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh, however, was noncommittal and said the party would take a decision on Wednesday.

BJP, too, is going to discuss the matter after the oath-taking ceremony.

Congress has also agreed to field Seelampur MLA Mateen Ahmad as the pro-tem speaker to administer oath to all other MLAs on the first day. On Monday night, BJP’s senior most MLA, Jagdish Mukhi, declined to be the protem speaker.

The crisis ended after the Delhi Congress chief decided to allow Ahmad to fulfil the duty. “I got a call from Aam Aadmi Party minister Manish Sisodia and agreed to his request for the pro-tem speaker,” Singh said.