Prashant Kishor, a political strategist, has expressed his belief that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s release from jail and participation in the Lok Sabha elections will have a negative impact on the Congress party rather than the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is a part of the INDIA bloc, which includes the Congress party. However, in Punjab, the Congress and AAP are competing against each other. In Delhi, both parties are contesting together for the 7 Lok Sabha seats.
According to Kishor, the AAP is only contesting in specific regions and not participating in the nationwide elections. They are fighting for 22 seats, with 14 in Punjab, 7 in Delhi, and 1 in Gujarat. Any changes that occur will only affect these 22 seats. Out of these 22 seats, 14 are in Punjab where the direct competition is between the AAP and Congress. If the AAP gains an advantage in Punjab, it will be at the expense of the Congress party. Kishor shared these insights during an interview with RTV, a Telangana-based news outlet.
Kishor further mentioned that out of the 22 seats where the AAP is contesting, it directly competes with the Congress party on 13 seats in Punjab. Additionally, in some seats of Punjab, the BJP is also a contender. In the 2019 elections, the BJP won two seats in Punjab – Gurdaspur and Hoshiarpur. This time, the BJP is contesting all 13 seats in the state.
The political strategist acknowledged that Kejriwal’s release from jail will undoubtedly boost the morale of party workers and leaders. However, he expressed doubt that it would have a significant impact on voters’ sentiments outside of Delhi and Punjab. The strategist emphasized that while Kejriwal’s presence may influence voting behavior in these two states, it is unlikely to bring about a substantial change in other regions such as Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Odisha. The strategist believes that any such change would be limited to Delhi and Punjab.