As the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) licks its wounds after the Delhi drubbing, its leaders, including former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and claimed that the entire system was against them.
In the Delhi Assembly elections, the Bharatiya Janata Partu (BJP) handed over a crushing defeat to AAP by winning 48 of 70 seats. AAP could only manage to win 22 seats, brining an end to their over 10-year rule in the national capital. Not just this but AAP was also dealt a blow as its stalwarts, including Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain and Saurabh Bharadwaj, also lost their seats.
According to a report by the Times of India, Manish Sisodia, who lost from the Jangpura constituency to Tarvinder Singh Marwah, described the situation as one where "the entire machinery was against us and the MCC was openly violated".
Sisodia said, "Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting with party leaders who were not able to win the elections. He motivated them, acknowledging that they contested the elections strongly despite the entire machinery being against us and the MCC being openly violated."
AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, who managed to secure a victory in the Okhla constituency, echoed similar sentiments and said, "We are deeply saddened by the result. It feels like the system, Election Commission, police and all powers were used by them (BJP) to intentionally cause the loss (to AAP). The margin was too small."
Even before the polls, AAP had raised concerns about MCC violations, accusing the BJP of using government machinery to manipulate the electoral process. The party has also claimed that the BJP workers were distributing cash and gifts to voters and using state institutions to harass AAP candidates.
However, these claims were dismissed by the poll body, which maintained the elections were conducted fairly, TOI reported.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
