PUNE: Congratulating Arvind Kejriwal on the Aam Aadmi Party’s good performance in the Delhi assembly elections, social crusader Anna Hazare on Sunday said he had started from scratch and managed to win more seats than estimated.
Kejriwal defeated Congress candidate Sheila Dikshit and his party won 28 of the 70 seats in the assembly. While the BJP was declared the winner with 31 seats, the AAP emerged as the second largest party.
“The results of the assembly polls show how disappointed people are with the Congress party,” Hazare told the media at Ralegan Siddhi in Ahmednagar district. “The Congress is fooling people and has failed to act against corruption. Now, people will teach the Congress a lesson in the forthcoming elections.”
Hazare had earlier refused to join the election campaign for Kejriwal’s AAP, which was born out of his (Hazare’s) anti-corruption agitation. Hazare had said he would not support any political party. He had also asked Kejriwal not to use his name in any way during the election campaign.
“Arvind’s party has performed well in the assembly polls,” he said. “Since the AAP has not won a majority, they may have to seek the support of other parties to form a government. Arvind had said he would bring the Lokpal Bill, but the bill has to be passed in the Lok Sabha and not by the assembly. He had also promised to constitute a good Lokayukta in the country. If the AAP join hands with other parties, it’s possible.”
Calling an alliance government a ‘khichdi government’, Hazare said such a set-up often fails to perform as per expectations. “The parties try to protect the corrupt and indulge in malpractices to remain in power,” he said.
Hazare has planned an indefinite fast from Tuesday to press for the Jan Lokpal Bill to check corruption in the country.
