MCD poll results influenced by UP and Modi’s growing stature, Kejriwal says

Another AAP lawmaker, who did not wish to be named, said that Kejriwal has asked all party legislators to not be upset with the MCD poll results and go back to people.

Since Wednesday, when the results of the Delhi civic polls emerged, party members have quit from their posts, former party members have penned anti-Kejriwal tirades and still other party members have chastised the top leadership for not leading from the front.

The AAP and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s haste to become the main face of opposition against PM Narendra Modi at national level cost the party heavily in Delhi.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had come riding on the anti-corruption plank and swept the Delhi assembly polls in 2015 by winning 67 of the 70 seats, received a drubbing in the civic polls, making it clear that the party’s popularity has dipped over the years.

Party veteran and one of its founding members, Kumar Vishwas today said that the Aam Aadmi Party was on the verge of turning into the Congress party and that there was need for an attempt by party leaders to stop that from happening. “This is what we did in the MCD too for the first time” Delhi BJP leader Nupur Sharma told Mirror.

“We could not convince people about the good work done by the party”.

“Kejriwal will have to listen to his MLAs and other party workers to strengthen the party at grassroots”.

On Wednesday, Kejriwal had congratulated the BJP on Twitter and said that the Delhi government looked forward to working with the BJP in all three MCDs of Delhi.

As he tries to come to terms with the devastating loss in Delhi’s municipal polls, CM Arvind Kejriwal could be staring at another mini-election soon.

He said that Kejriwal’s stand on the surgical strikes was wrong. People from the Congress and the Akali were given tickets. “Many decisions were taken inside closed door”, he added.

Ashish Talwar resigned as the Delhi in-charge, Sanjay Singh as the Punjab in-charge and Durgesh Pathak as Punjab co-convener.

“I am pained because it is our sixth continuous defeat”. It has lost its moorings that made people see it as an alternative to the cynical, corrupt, casteist and communal parties that have held sway all these years. “The formal decision will announced after the PAC meeting”, an AAP functionary said.

Sources in AAP had earlier revealed that Vishwas was upset with the party because he was not named as its star campaigner in Punjab, but he continues to play a critical role in campaigning.

“We didn’t sit at Jantar Mantar to fight against Congress, Modi, BJP or EVM”, Kumar Vishwas said while outlining the original objective of providing an alternative stream of politics in the country.