Delhi assembly polls: Anna Hazare takes jibe at AAP's loss, says it 'drowned' because of liquor policy scam

As the BJP on Feb 8 headed to capture the Delhi seat of power after more than 26 years, activist Anna Hazare, once a mentor to Arvind Kejriwal, said the AAP "drowned" due to the liquor policy and its focus on money.

In a jibe at Kejriwal, the anti-graft activist further said a candidate's character should be clean and he should know the virtues of sacrifice.

The Aam Aadmi Party, born from Hazare's anti-corruption crusade, is trailing behind the Bharatiya Janata Party as votes are being counted for the 70-member Delhi assembly polls held earlier this week.

Trends and results on the Election Commission website showed the BJP ahead in 48 seats and the AAP in 22.

AAP veteran and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia conceded defeat from Jangpura while party supremo Arvind Kejriwal stared at a possible loss from the New Delhi seat.

"With the liquor policy issue came the money and they drowned in it. The (AAP's) image was tarnished. People saw him (Arvind Kejriwal) talking about clean character and then about liquor," Hazare, who led the anti-corruption movement in 2011, told reporters in Ralegan Siddhi village.

Hazare said the AAP lost as it failed to understand the need to serve people selflessly and took the wrong path.

"Money took the front seat which dented AAP's image, leading to its defeat," he added.

Hazare and Kejriwal parted ways after the latter decided to form the AAP in 2012.

According to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the Delhi excise policy for 2021-22, and undue favors extended to license holders.

The Delhi government implemented the policy on November 17, 2021, but scrapped it at the end of September 2022 amid allegations of corruption.

Hazare said he stayed away from politics when the AAP was founded.

"I have been saying this since the beginning that when one contests polls, the candidate's character should be clean and spotless. The candidate should know the virtues of sacrifice and should have the capacity to tolerate insults.

"These qualities (in candidates) win people's trust who feel the candidate will do something for them. I kept saying this but they (the AAP) did not understand it," he said.

Hazare said when allegations crop up, it is necessary to tell the people that these charges are wrong.

(PTI)