Poor show in assembly segments despite popular faces worries AAP

NEW DELHI: If a complete wipe out in Delhi Lok Sabha election is a bigger worry for Aam Aadmi Party, the worst headache has been party's poor show in all assembly segments represented by its most popular faces. Going by the poll trends, former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his all six former cabinet colleagues failed to save their assembly seats.

In New Delhi constituency, which gave Kejriwal the "giant killer" tag after defeating Sheila Dikshit in the assembly election, AAP managed to get about 25,500 votes in the Lok Sabha election. But BJP improved its performance to bag around 32,000 votes.

The trends suggest that the government employees, who had rallied behind Kejriwal in the last assembly poll, deserted him within months. "In Gole Market area, BJP got approximately 11,000 votes against AAP's 4,500. We could reverse the assembly poll trend by carrying out aggressive campaigning, reaching out to every household at least twice. Obviously, Narendra Modi wave was the major factor," said Rajiv Singh, poll in-charge of the constituency.

BJP got lead in 152 out of the total 182 booths in the New Delhi assembly seat.

Former minister Rakhi Birla, who also contested as party's MP candidate from North-West Delhi, was the closest second in her own assembly seat Mangolpuri while her colleagues failed to even put a tough fight. In Mangolpuri, the difference between BJP and AAP was approximately 1,500.

BJP bagged almost double of AAP votes in Shakur Basti and Greater Kailash which are represented by former health and industry minister Satyendra Jain and ex-transport minister Saurabh Bharadwaj. Even Malviya Nagar MLA and former law and tourism minister Somnath Bharti could not help his party. While BJP got little over 43,000 votes AAP bagged only 26,000. In the last assembly election, the broom had got about 32,000 votes.

Kejriwal's right hand man Manish Sisodia's Patparganj constituency also did not save AAP's day. BJP improved its performance by getting 68,000 votes.

The story was similar in Madipur represented by Girish Soni, the former employment minister. BJP had margin of over 17,000 votes.

"This time it was like a tornado to vote for Modi and there was no reason. So, suggesting former AAP ministers' failure won't be right," said one of the party's Lok Sabha candidates.