NEW DELHI: This has possibly never happened before in Indian politics. In 1996, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rushed to form a government under Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee totally aware it was woefully short of numbers in the Lok Sabha.

He quit after a mere 13 days in power. That was just one example of the all too familiar blind lure of power that grips Indian politics. But on Monday, barely five deputies short of a simple majority, the BJP with 32 seats was all too willing to forsake its right to be called to rule Delhi assembly.

Arvind Kejriwal’s Aaam Aadmi Party (AAP) with a clutch of 28 seats on a surprise debut in the 70-member house would not want to rule either, arguing that its mandate was to sit in the opposition. And the Congress party, reduced to a single digit after three consecutive terms under Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, had no leg to stand on to even have a sniff at power. The deadlock will now go to Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung. He could declare President’s Rule in the state if no one is willing to take the responsibility to form a government.

The hung assembly in Delhi has emerged as the single biggest question mark on the projection of the BJP to win the general elections next year. The recent elections in the four northern states that form the bulk of the so-called “cow belt” have given the BJP a big boost though. It has dethroned the Congress in Rajasthan, and retained its hold in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh for a third term in each state.

Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are the other big challenges before the BJP in the politically vital and high yield “cow belt” region. The rival leaders in these states were sanguine there was no BJP wave worth the name.

“There is no doubt that the results in assembly elections in four states are anti-Congress. But there is no reason for BJP to jump in joy,” Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said in Patna.

“There is no wave in favour of BJP... The results show that BJP performance will be dismal in the Lok Sabha elections,” Mr Kumar told reporters in a brief chat. Mr Kumar has had an alliance with BJP in Bihar, but he broke it after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was declared the party’s prime ministerial candidate.

“The gamble BJP took (by appointing Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate) has doomed it... Delhi is the test case of this,” said Mr Kumar, who led JD (U) to severe ties with the BJP after 17 years of bon homie.

Referring to the poll result in Delhi, he said it threw up a “below par” performance by the BJP when they should have easily gained two-third majority in the event of Congress’ rout.

“The writing is clear on the wall for BJP too... It will get a deep shock in 2014 parliamentary elections as the Delhi assembly election result indicates,” the chief minister said.

Referring to the stellar performance put up by Aam Admi Party, Mr Kumar said wherever there will be an alternative other than BJP it will gain from anti-Congress mood in place of BJP.

Since there was no other alternative to Congress other than BJP in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh it won. But in Delhi, where AAP was a third option, BJP failed to form the government despite the “profound anti-Congress environment,” Mr Kumar said.

Congratulating AAP, he said “it reaped the benefit of anti-corruption agitation of Gandhian Anna Hazare.”

With the Aam Admi Party putting up a good show in Delhi elections, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury on Monday said people were angry with the policies of the Congress and in search of an alternative.

Speaking to reporters outside parliament, Mr Yechury said people were searching for an alternative that could provide solutions to their day-to-day problems.

“This (results) mean there is a huge anger against the policies of the Congress. Where there was an alternative, like in Delhi, it (AAP) benefited. Where there was no alternative, the opposition party gained,” Mr Yechury said. He said more than the policies what had helped AAP in the election was that they were seen as a possibility that can offer an alternative.

“At the moment the only agenda that they have given to the people is anti-corruption ....It was basically a search that is going on, saying that we want something different, But that different, what it is, is not coming up in a tangible form,” he said.

Asked whether he thought that the promises that the AAP had made in its manifesto could be fulfilled, he said, “It is difficult”.

“Electricity at half the price, all these are very attractive slogans. But the question is more burden should not be put on the people,” he said.