Prashant Kishor gives reasons behind AAP's defeat in Delhi: 'Kejriwal should have ...'

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Jan Suraj Party chief Prashant Kishor gave several reasons behind Aam Aadmi Party's downfall in Delhi, saying that Arvind Kejriwal's volatile political stance and growing anti-incumbency in the national capital were some of the biggest factors behind his party's rout in the February 5 polls.

Decoding the Delhi election results, Kishor, in an interview to India Today, said that Kejriwal's decision to join hands with the opposition INDIA bloc, which consisted leaders like Sonia Gandhi and Lalu Prasad (the ones who fought against during his early days), and then pulling out of the group ahead of the polls played a big role in AAP's loss.

He added Kejriwal's decision to continue as the chief minister even after being arrested in the liquor policy scam last year was a "strategic mistake".

“The first reason for AAP’s big loss in Delhi was the 10-year anti-incumbency factor. The second, and perhaps a big mistake by AAP, was Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation. He should have stepped down when he was arrested in the liquor policy case. However, resigning after securing bail and appointing someone else as Chief Minister before the elections proved to be a big strategic mistake," India Today quoted him as saying.

The former political strategist added that Kejriwal's fluctuating stance of aligning with the INDIA bloc and then exiting it hurt his credibility in the national capital.

"Moreover, his governance approach in recent years has been lackluster," Kishor said.

Kishor said that AAP government's failure to resolve issues such as water-logging, improve the condition of roads and the lives of people living in slums also played a part.

“The hardships endured by people, especially those living in jhuggis, highlighted flaws in the administration and significantly weakened Kejriwal’s governance model," he said.

BJP ended the 10-year rule of AAP in Delhi on Saturday after winning 48 out of 70 seats in the Delhi assembly.