New Delhi:
Manish Tewari has suggested that the Aam Aadmi Party could adopt the UPA's 2004 template of a "common minimum programme" to run a successful coalition government in Delhi.
The Congressman and Union minister, a panelist on a lively discussion - Governance: Towards cleaner politics in India - at NDTV's Solutions Summit, said he personally did not endorse his party's offer to support an AAP government in Delhi.
His co-panelist Prashant Bhushan of AAP had sought to know what the Congress meant by its offer yesterday of "unconditional support."
"If it means you will allow our (version of the) Lokpal bill to be passed, you will allow all ministers to be investigated by a Jan Lokpal, then yes we will consider forming government, subject to the opinion of people who have elected us," Mr Bhushan said.
Mr Tewari argued that AAP's political "wishlist has not got a proper mandate." Politics, he said, is the art of the possible, also emphasising that the onus of providing Delhi with a government lay not with his party but with the BJP or AAP.
The Aam AAdmi Party has been invited by Delhi's Lieutenant Governor to form a government in Delhi, after single largest party BJP refused to do so. The Congress has offered the support of its eight MLAs in the New Delhi Assembly, which will help AAP reach the 36 that is needed to form government.
AAP has asked the Lieutenant Governor for time to think their position over and has sent letters with 18 questions to both the BJP and the Congress, to assess their views on his party's agenda.