Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu said today the AAP should not give the excuse of EVM manipulation for its defeat in the municipal elections as these were the same machines through which it had stormed to power in Delhi in 2015.

"It (AAP) is finding excuse for their defeat in EVMs. These were the same EVMs which had given them 67 of 70 seats in the Assembly election. That time it was fine but now you have lost, there is problem with EVMs," Naidu told reporters here as the BJP swept the municipal polls.

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had earlier said that "manipulation" of EVMs was the "bitter truth" behind the crushing blow to the AAP in the municipal polls.

Naidu said the poll results were a "clear punishment" for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) which had been indulging only in "negative politics" in spite of getting a huge mandate in the last Assembly polls.

The information and broadcasting minister said the AAP government should focus at least from now onwards on the development and welfare of the people of Delhi.

Naidu alleged that ever since Arvind Kejriwal became the chief minister, he abdicated his responsibility towards Delhiites with larger political ambition of emerging as a national alternative, "taking advantage of the emerging vacuum in opposition space".

He said the massive victory of the BJP was yet another indication of the mood of the nation which he claimed was for development across the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Naidu alleged that the AAP government tried to stop the municipal bodies, led by the BJP, from performing by not releasing funds.

"Intelligent people of Delhi have seen through this negative tactics of the Kejriwal government and taught his party a befitting lesson," he claimed.

The AAP paid a heavy price for "its arrogance, ambition and misplaced priorities", the minister said.
Naidu later went to the Delhi BJP office and congratulated the workers and leaders of the state party unit, including Delhi president Manoj Tiwari.

He said there was a need for the Centre, the state and the urban local bodies to work together for speedy development of the national capital.