Delhi: People Have Rejected National Parties, Voted for Third Alternative, Says Cong Leader Ashok Tanwar

Chandigarh: With the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party poised for a landslide victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, former Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar on Tuesday said people have rejected both the BJP and the Congress, and opted for a third alternative.

The AAP has won 48 assembly seats and was leading on 14 as per the latest results and trends, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other prominent faces Manish Sisodia and Raghav Chadha emerging victorious. The BJP has won six seats and is leading on two others, while the Congress stares at a blank.

"Delhi assembly poll results have shown that people have rejected the main national parties, the BJP and the Congress. While people have seen policies of the BJP and are fed up with them, they are not seeing any hope in the Congress as an alternative. So, wherever a third credible alternative is available, people will now go for it," Tanwar told reporters here.

Tanwar had quit the primary membership of the Congress days before the Haryana Assembly polls in October last year. He had revolted against the leadership, alleging irregularities and corruption in ticket distribution.

The former Sirsa MP had been miffed with the party ever since he was removed as the Haryana Congress chief. He was replaced by Kumari Selja, while Tanwar's bete noire and former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda was made the CLP leader.

Replying to a question here, Tanwar said when he was the president of the state unit of the party, Congress workers struggled hard to take the party ahead.

He claimed that had there been no change in the leadership in the state just before the polls and proper distribution of tickets had taken place, the party could have attained a majority in the polls on its own. He alleged that the Congress distributed tickets in connivance with the BJP.

"Therefore, the present government in Haryana is a 'milijuli sarkar' of all the parties and an opposition is missing in the state," Tanwar added.

Tanwar and his supporters are organising a "Swabhimaan rally" in Karnal on February 16 and currently, he is touring the state to mobilise support.

He said the Delhi poll outcome indicated that people wanted change and were looking for a third alternative.

"There is need of a credible third alternative in Haryana as well. A majority of the people in the state I meet, they tell me that they have lost hopes with both the BJP and the Congress," he said in reply to a question.

Tanwar evaded a direct reply when asked about reports that claimed he will be floating a new party at the Karnal event.

"To begin with, let's organise this programme at Karnal. After that, we will decide based on the feedback from all our supporters and people of Haryana. One thing is certain that I will keep raising people's issues," he said.