AAP plays down electoral setback, says it won't affect its chances in MCD polls

The Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday played down its electoral setback in Punjab and said the results would not impact the party's chances in the upcoming municipal elections in the Capital. Speaking to reporters outside the residence of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas, said that the party had registered a 'historic victory' in Delhi assembly polls in 2015, following a rout in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

"We will go into the municipal elections on the basis of the good work done by the government in the city. We have opened mohalla clinics, brought reforms in education and provided drinking water. People of Delhi are going to see this and vote for us," Vishwas said.

Though the dates for municipal elections are still to be announced, sources estimated that it most likely would be held in the second half of April. This would be the first full-fledged civic elections of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party that came to power with a thumping majority of 67 seats in the 70-member Delhi assembly in February 2015.

The civic polls will be a litmus test for the AAP to find out whether or not they still enjoyed the popularity and connect with the Delhi electorate. The party has already declared 248 candidates of the 272 Municipal seats across three municipal corporations.

The party is now focusing on Delhi where the civic polls are likely to be held in April. The notification for the municipal elections are likely to be issued later this month. The party has launched an advertisement blitzkrieg, placing large advertisements of its various schemes and projects that it has launched. AAP has decided to contest all the seats in the MCD polls. Last year, the AAP made its debut in the municipal polls by fielding candidates in the by-polls in 13 seats. AAP won five seats, Congress four and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) three.

While the BJP is eyeing to retain power by repeating its performance in the recently-held elections to local bodies in Maharashthra andOdissa, the Congress sees the civic body polls as an opportunity to make a revival in the city polity after drawing a naught in the 2015 assembly elections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been on an electoral surge in other states, has been in power in the three corporations for a decade, while the Congress is the principal opposition.