The Centre is expected to inform the Supreme Court on October 28 that it is ready to hold elections in Delhi. Sources in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is not in favour of forming the government with the current mandate.

Buoyed by the outcome of Assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra where Modi led from the front, the Delhi BJP leadership feels that the same feat can be repeated in Delhi.

The BJP leaders are set to meet Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung after Diwali to inform him about the decision. It will also have the bearing on Lieutenant-governor's rule in Delhi which will complete the stipulated one year in February. Unlike other states where governor's rule gets renewed after six months, the Lieutenant governor's rule in the Capital lasts a year.

A section of BJP leadership has been in favour of government formation in Delhi. But party sources said that even before the results of the Assembly polls were declared, the prime minister had told the party leaders that forming the government by engineering defections or desertions is not good and the party should seek proper mandate in Delhi.

Thereafter, Delhi BJP leaders have also been informed that they should begin preparations for the polls. Senior party leaders also believe that any statement on government formation will benefit the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which has been demanding fresh elections in Delhi.

After the city's top BJP leader Dr Harsh Vardhan joined the Union Cabinet, the party did not find anyone to project as the potential chief minister. But the party's victory in Maharashtra and Haryana has firmed up the belief that the BJP can bank on Modi magic and it won't be difficult to win similarly in Delhi.

Earlier, in the first week of October, some Delhi BJP leaders had met Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leaders, including Bhaiyaji Joshi. A party leader said that RSS leaders clearly suggested that government formation in the present circumstances will not send a good message to people and the party should prepare for Assembly polls in Delhi.

"RSS leaders also referred to the party's position in Maharashtra and Haryana, where the BJP was expecting victory. They were of the view that the situation is in favour of the party in Delhi as well. Now, there is no doubt about this," a party insider said.

The BJP had emerged as the single largest party after the Delhi Assembly polls in December last year with 32 seats, including ally Akali Dal's one MLA, in the 70-member House.

In the prevailing situation, the BJP cannot form the government on its own in Delhi. The party's strength in Delhi Assembly has been reduced to 28 after three of its MLAs- Harsh Vardhan, Ramesh Bidhuri and Parvesh Verma-were elected to the Lok Sabha.

On August 5, the apex court had given five weeks' time to the Centre to take a decision on dissolution of the Delhi Assembly "one way or another", questioning it for continuing to keep the House in suspended animation, with no party coming forward to form the government.