New Delhi: The minority Aam Aadmi Party government on Thursday crossed the first hurdle in the Delhi Assembly when its confidence motion sailed through easily with the backing of the members of Congress, JD (U) and an independent.

The motion moved by PWD minister Manish Sisodia was carried after a four-and-a-half-hour debate at the end of which Chief Minster Arvind Kejriwal appealed to the members to decide “on which side they are”.

“I want to present three issues. Delhi’s aam aadmi (common man) has taken the lead in telling the country as to which direction the national politics should go.

“They should also decide as to which side they are in the fight between truth and honesty in politics and whether they want to participate in it,” the Chief Minister said, in his 25-minute speech winding up the debate.

Promising to take stringent action against anyone corrupt whether in the previous Congress government, MCDs controlled by the BJP and his government, he said he was not seeking support of the members for his party or the government but for the issues facing Delhi.

At the end of the debate, pro-tem Speaker Matin Ahmad asked those in favour to stand up followed by those against.

Later, he declared the motion as passed and congratulated the Chief Minister before adjourning the house.

28 AAP members along with seven of Congress, a lone JD(U) member and an independent stood in support while 31 members of BJP and one member of its ally Akali Dal stood against it.

The fate of the motion was a foregone conclusion after Congress leader Arvinder Lovely declared that his party’s seven members would support the government and said the backing would continue as long as the regime works in the interest of the people, even for five years.

However, the BJP opposed the confidence motion and accused Kejriwal of compromising with the “corrupt” Congress for power and becoming silent on the corruption of the previous Congress government.