JOIN USAam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders do not expect many seats but are not ready to accept exit poll results. They suspect that pollsters might have failed in identifying seats that may turn out to be favourable for them. However, most of the Lok Sabha contestants say that had Arvind Kejriwal not contested in Varanasi, the tally would have been quite different.
The contestants complain that Kejirwal and other leaders should have been available for campaigning in other parts of the country as it would have made a huge difference.
“When I filed the nomination, I was sure of my victory. But I had to run my campaign on my own and none of the leaders including Kejriwal could get time to come. Now I am convinced that I will lose my deposit,” an AAP candidate, who contested against a BJP stalwart and sitting MP from Uttar Pradesh, told Deccan Herald.
The candidate laments that the party should have not made this blunder. He argues that it would have been better if none of the senior leaders fought the elections as they could have focused on campaigning.
Most of the contestants complained that all the leaders and workers camped in either Varanasi or Amethi. “We were unable to receive even small help. But we have not lost hope,” they say. But the fact that their one year old party has been noticed is a matter of satisfaction for them. “The response of the people has been very good. They consider our party as a serious party despite the fact that we could not match campaigning done by the BJP or Congress,” said one of the contestants.