Observing an election within the nationwide capital in 4 months, the Aam Aadmi Social gathering (AAP) obtained a drubbing in Haryana, with all however one in every of its 88 candidates dropping their deposit. In 2019, the celebration contested and misplaced in 46 seats.
The one silver lining for the celebration was in Doda in Jammu and Kashmir, the place it gained its solely seat.
For the previous month, senior AAP leaders, together with chief Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Raghav Chadha, had been campaigning in Haryana. On the final day of campaigning, Kejriwal and Sisodia had mentioned throughout public addresses that the federal government won’t be fashioned with out its assist.
In an announcement, the celebration mentioned the Haryana outcomes gained’t have an effect on the Delhi polls. “The BJP gained the Haryana elections in 2014 and 2019, however these outcomes don’t sway Delhi. Delhi votes for the politics of labor, not empty guarantees. When the BJP appeared ‘invincible’, driving on the ‘Modi Magic’ and successful throughout the nation, it was this ‘nutmeg-sized’ celebration that handed them historic defeats — twice lowering their seats to single digits. The BJP should perceive that Delhi’s coronary heart beats just for Arvind Kejriwal,” it mentioned.
In accordance with AAP sources, the celebration had hoped to carry out effectively in seats in Kurukshetra in addition to these bordering Punjab. The one seat the place it didn’t lose its deposit, nonetheless, was Jagadhri, the place its candidate Adarsh Pal Singh polled 43,813 votes.
Not solely did AAP not win any seat in Haryana, it missed the second place as effectively. The very best outcome it achieved was the third place, in 11 out of a complete of 90 seats.
Solely a month in the past, AAP and Congress’s alliance talks within the state broke down, reportedly over seat sharing. After the outcomes turned clear, AAP educated its weapons on the Congress for failing to return to a mutually helpful resolution within the state.
On Monday, because the votes had been being counted, Kejriwal took a dig on the celebration in his tackle to AAP councillors in Delhi.
“Allow us to see what the ultimate outcomes are in Haryana, however one factor is obvious, the largest lesson is that one ought to by no means be overconfident within the elections,” he mentioned.
The celebration’s Rajya Sabha MP, Sanjay Singh, mentioned that the Congress didn’t take everybody collectively. “We had mentioned that we should always come collectively and defeat the BJP… the Samajwadi Social gathering additionally tried. Had that occurred, it could have been a Congress authorities and a Congress chief minister. The Congress didn’t take anybody collectively. Issues don’t work this fashion,” he mentioned.
In a put up on X, Raghav Chadha, ostensibly alluding to the breakdown of talks between AAP and Congress, wrote: “Hamari aarzu ki fir karte toh kuch aur baat hoti, Hamari hasrat ka khan rakhte toh ek alag shaam hoti, Aaj vo bhi pachta raha hoga mera saath chhodkar, agar saath-saath chalte toh kuch aur baat hoti (In the event you had cared about our needs, it could have been a distinct matter. In the event you had paid heed to our needs, it could have been a distinct night. In the present day he too should be regretting leaving us; if we had walked collectively, it could have been a distinct matter).”
Leaders at the moment are fearful about what the outcomes sign for the nationwide capital.
“In 2019, after we contested in Haryana for the primary time, the state of affairs was totally different. The celebration was not present process its worst disaster, as it’s now. Alternatively, the marketing campaign was not as robust because it was this yr. To have such few votes in Haryana definitely has folks fearful,” mentioned a senior chief.
AAP managed a vote share of simply 1.7 p.c within the state.
The Congress’s defeat, in the meantime, has additionally reignited hypothesis concerning the tie-up between the 2 events in Delhi. In accordance with a senior celebration chief, the Congress’s efficiency within the polls means “the celebration has misplaced its bargaining chip”.
“Earlier, it was AAP that was pushing for a tie-up in each Haryana and Delhi. Now, it’s the different method spherical. A Congress win would have been very worrying for AAP as it could have indicated a revival of the celebration in Delhi, particularly in villages and meeting constituencies that border Haryana,” this senior celebration chief mentioned. “In any case, a number of senior AAP leaders and MLAs are against an alliance with the Congress in Delhi for the concern of dropping its voter base, which initially voted for Congress earlier than AAP got here into existence.”
A celebration insider chimed in, “It was clear to us by the center of September that we might not win a lot in Haryana. We knew we had been late to reach on the campaigning scene. It was as a result of our leaders had been behind bars. We had been hoping for two-three seats on the most. The truth that most of our leaders have gotten just a few thousand votes is regarding.”
However, he added, “We didn’t make a dent in Haryana in 2019 both, and some months earlier than that, we misplaced all seven Lok Sabha seats. We nonetheless got here again to energy with 62 out of 70 seats in Delhi. The problem is larger this time round, although. Anti-incumbency, depletion of celebration assets, allegations of corruption towards our leaders and, most of all, MLAs and councillors quitting the celebration are all factors of concern.”
