Kejriwal's resignation dented party's chances: Manish Sisodia (Interview) (Election Special)

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal's resignation as the chief minister of Delhi has dented the prospects of the party in the Lok Sabha poll, senior party leader and close aide Manish Sisodia said.

However, Sisodia said the move is bound to prove "propitious" for the over year-old party in long term.

"Arvind's resignation has indeed dented the party. We might not win as many seats as we could have won earlier. But he was not wrong," Sisodia told IANS in the midst of campaigning for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat where Kejriwal has taken on BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Kejriwal has already admitted that his resignation, without consulting people, was a "mistake."

Kejriwal and his cabinet quit the government in Delhi after 49 days over the defeat of anti-graft bill by the Congress and the BJP in the assembly.

However, Sisodia adds hastily that Kejriwal's dramatic resignation "would be propitious in the long run as we are out to do clean politics.""If Arvind wins in Varanasi, it will be equal to winning 100 seats," Sisodia said, while admitting it would be an uphill task.

Party sources said they were hoping to win seats in Delhi and Punjab. Polls have already been conducted for Delhi's seven seats.

"It is not going to be easy against Modi but opinion of people changes in a trice," said another AAP leader who did not wish to be identified.

"The campaigning will reach its fever pitch after April 30. And we have already covered some 50,000 houses as part of our door-to-door campaign," he added.

According to party sources, it has done an assessment of 100 seats in Lok Sabha. Out of 100, 41 seats were in the 'A category' where the party seems to be in with a reasonable chance.

Though the party has fielded some 450 candidates, it's prime focus is on Amethi and Varanasi. In Amethi, a pocket borough of Nehru Gandhi dynasty, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has pitted Kumar Vishwas against Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi. Kejriwal has himself campaigned for Vishwash.

(Gaurva Sharma can be contacted at gaurav.s@ians.in)