NEW DELHI : Delhi arguably threw up the biggest winners and losers of this round of assembly polls, but at the end of it all it may not have a government in the foreseeable future. AAP made a spectacular debut winning 28 seats, BJP was the single-largest party with 32, and Congress was reduced to a measly eight. But none of them seems to have a realistic chance of cobbling together a majority in the 70-member assembly. While Lt Governor Najeeb Jung is expected to invite BJP to form a government, the saffron outfit is unlikely to accept, having fallen four short of a majority. BJP's chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan said, "I can't be part of any government formation as I do not have the numbers. We can't fulfill the promises we made to the voters. I feel helpless." With sources indicating that the BJP central leadership is serious about sitting it out, chances of a spell of central rule in Delhi look very high. Aam Aadmi Party has already ruled out allying with either Congress or BJP. The stalemate carries the possibility of the city facing another election, possibly along with the LS polls. There is one school of thought in BJP that feels that if invited by the L-G, the party should take a serious shot at government formation, but the dominant view is averse to engaging in 'horse-trading' - something that would show up poorly in the AAP-defined political discourse in the city. In any case, BJP's options are limited. One independent, Rambir Shokeen, a party rebel, has offered support. That would take the tally to 33. The only other non-AAP, non-Congress MLA, JD(U)'s Shoaib Iqbal, will obviously not support BJP. AAP's Arvind Kejriwal not only ruled out support to any party, but suggested, tongue firmly in cheek, that Congress and BJP could attempt to form a government in alliance. "We will not ally with parties we have criticized. We will not ask for support nor offer it to anyone," he said. The eight-member Congress group could be vulnerable to poaching attempts, but this may not be easy given that the anti-defection law stipulates a two-thirds strength for the breakaway group to escape disqualification. Also, such a course of action will expose BJP to scathing criticism. There is the possibility of a minority government in Delhi, but BJP may resist the temptation. Though AAP leaders said they will not destabilize such a government, BJP leaders feel that a minority government would be at the beck and call of AAP and Congress. The possibility of another assembly election is not a welcome proposition for Congress, and may not be for BJP either. After AAP's stunning performance, it is unlikely to fade by the time of the Lok Sabha elections. In fact, AAP's appeal could increase as it has demonstrated that it is a serious contender for power in Delhi. On the other hand, BJP could hope for a rub-off from the pro-Modi sentiment if the assembly polls are held with the LS elections. That might be enough to get it over the 36-seat mark it so narrowly missed in these elections. TOI