‘Don’t be overconfident’: Kejriwal tells AAP ahead of Delhi elections

The former Delhi chief minister was speaking at a gathering at the Constitution Club of India. Senior party leaders Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Durgesh Pathak, and mayor Shelly Oberoi were also present

New Delhi

Former Delhi CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal during a meeting with AAP municipal councillors in New Delhi on Tuesday. (PTI PHOTO)

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday referred to results of the Haryana assembly elections, and told AAP councillors in the Capital to not be “overconfident” in the run-up to the upcoming Delhi polls, scheduled to be held early next year.

Kejriwal also appealed to the AAP councillors to stop infighting in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) house, and work towards making the party emerge victorious in the Delhi polls.

In response, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alleged that all work in MCD has been stalled for the past two years, leading to public discontent.

The BJP on Tuesday defied two-term anti-incumbency in Haryana to score an improbable victory, winning 48 of the state’s 90 seats, while the Congress failed to carry forward the momentum it gained from the Lok Sabha polls and slumped to just 37 seats. The AAP, meanwhile, was swept aside, failing to win a single seat.

Referring to the results in the neighbouring state, Kejriwal said that the AAP councillors will have an important role to play in the upcoming Delhi elections, and urged them to ensure regular cleaning of their areas and to stop infighting.

The former Delhi chief minister was speaking at a gathering at the Constitution Club of India. Senior party leaders Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai, Durgesh Pathak, and mayor Shelly Oberoi were also present.

“We should not take any election lightly… The biggest lesson from today’s result is that one should never be overconfident. Never take any election lightly. Every election, every seat is difficult and we have to work hard to win it,” Kejriwal said.

“The most important role in these (Delhi) elections will be yours. People expect you to ensure that waste is lifted and the area is cleaned. Even if we can ensure these two things, we will win the election. Don’t fight with your MLAs... All families have disputes and we will resolve ours later but right now we should all work together to ensure the party wins in the elections,” he said.

The AAP has seen a series of defections, with 10 councillors switching allegiance to the BJP over the last one year. The AAP still has more representation in the MCD; however, the defections have narrowed the difference with the BJP from 30 to just nine at present.

Addressing the gathering, Pathak, who is the AAP’s MCD in-charge, said the biggest problem that the corporation faces is a shortage of funds.

“Funds were made available in the budget but officers are creating barriers on directions of the lieutenant governor and the BJP,” he alleged.

Oberoi meanwhile said that many councillors cite budget and funds shortage and non-cooperation of officers. “Officers are under pressure to stop the funds in MCD just like Delhi government’s works are being stalled,” she claimed.

Responding to the AAP gathering, the BJP said that the people of Haryana have given a mandate to the development and corruption-free governance of their party.

“Only a dramatic leader like Arvind Kejriwal can talk about sharing victory strategies in Delhi on a day when, despite his claims of forming a government, his party trailed behind even the NOTA option in the Haryana elections,” Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said.

“AAP councillors openly told Kejriwal that all work in the Municipal Corporation has been stalled for the past two years, and even MLAs are not offering any cooperation, leading to public discontent,” he added.