Prashant Kishor Explains Kejriwal's Blunder In Delhi Polls: ‘Should Have Resigned After…’

Last Updated:February 10, 2025, 09:49 IST

Poll strategist Prashant Kishor has weighed in on Arvind Kejriwal's humiliating defeat in the Delhi Assembly Elections and also highlighted his mistakes in the run-up to the polls.

Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Kishor (PTI Image)

Jan Suraj Party chief Prashant Kishor said that Arvind Kejriwal made a strategic blunder by not stepping down as the Delhi Chief Minister soon after he was arrested in alleged liquor scam and only resigning following securing bail, which cost the party in the Assembly polls.

He pointed out that appointing someone else as the Chief Minister while moving into the election mode also proved to be a big mistake that resulted in the party’s drubbing at the hands of the BJP in the polls.

In an interview with India Today TV, Prashant Kishor underlined Kejriwal’s volatile political stance – that included the decision to join the Opposition’s INDIA bloc consisting of leaders such as Lalu Yadav and Sonia Gandhi against who he fought and rose to the picture, and then the decision to pull out of the alliance to contest the Delhi polls on its own – played a contributing role in the party’s debacle.

“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.

“His fluctuating stance – first aligning with the INDIA bloc and then exiting it – hurt his credibility. Moreover, his governance approach in recent years has been lackluster," Kishor added.

The poll strategist highlighted the Delhi government’s failure on the governance front, referring to water-logging issues and pathetic road conditions, and said that this contributed to the AAP’s humiliating loss.

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

The Aam Aadmi Party’s decade-long rule came to an end with its defeat in the polls as the party won 22 seats as against the BJP which secured a majority, winning 48 seats. Kejriwal lost his New Delhi seat to BJP’s Parvesh Verma by over 4,000 votes, raising questions about his position and future in the INDIA bloc at the national level.

News elections Prashant Kishor Explains Kejriwal's Blunder In Delhi Polls: ‘Should Have Resigned After…’