Congress backing AAP to see 'miracle' of low power tariff: Khurshid

Farukkhabad: Congress extended unconditional support to AAP as it wanted to witness "miraculous experiment" of free water and drastically reduced power rates for Delhiites as promised by Arvind Kejriwal in his party's manifesto, Union Minister Salman Khurshid said on Monday.

On a two-day visit to his Parliamentary constituency, Khurshid questioned why Kejriwal was shying away from forming government even after Congress offered its unconditional support.

"Congress has extended unconditional support to AAP as it wants to witness the miraculous experiment of free water and power rate slashed by 30 per cent to Delhiites," he told reporters here.

In a surprise move, Congress had on December 13 submitted a letter to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung extending "unconditional support" of its eight MLAs to Aam Aadmi Party, which bagged 28 seats in the 70-member Assembly, to form government.

However, the next day, AAP had put the onus on Congress and BJP for taking its support to form a government by putting forth 18 conditions and wanting to know their views on them, a move seen as an attempt to rebut criticism that it was shying away from taking responsibility.

BJP, along with its ally Akali Dal's one seat, has 32 MLAs in the 70-member House while AAP has 28 seats followed by Congress' eight.

JD(U) won one seat while the Mundka seat went to an Independent. BJP declined to form government citing lack of majority, following which Jung had invited Kejriwal to discuss government formation, but he too declined.

With both BJP and AAP refusing to form government, President's Rule seems likely in Delhi.