NEW DELHI: AAP's stunning comeback has infused new hope in a number of parties ranged against the BJP-led Centre that, they charge, has become too overbearing. Drawing such comfort, JD(U)'s beleaguered boss Nitish Kumar invited Arvind
Kejriwal to join the grand alliance of the Janata Parivar on Tuesday. "There are only five political parties in Bihar and even West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has extended her moral support over phone," he said, adding, "BJP's CM candidate 'Kiran Modi' had gone to the wrong place," and now the
BJP would blame her for the defeat.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad and LJP second-in-command Chirag Paswan too congratulated AAP. "I have never seen such huge swing in people's mood against a political party after just nine months in power," said Lalu. Key NDA ally, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray too praised Arvind Kejriwal saying, "Delhi results were bigger than any wave, it was a tsunami."
Mamata, feuding bitterly with the Centre over the CBI probe into the Saradha scam, tweeted, "My heartiest congratulations to AAP for a sweeping victory… All the best Arvind Kejriwal. Delhi election is the turning point of present political situation. This shows political vendetta has no place in a democracy… This is a victory for the people and a big defeat for the arrogant (sic) who are spreading hate..."
In UP, though, the Yadav chieftains were muted, with only Samajwadi Party's Azam Khan welcoming the arrival of AAP as a political force. One reason could be Mulayam Singh Yadav's fear that AAP may snatch Muslim votes - the mainstay of his party along with the OBCs.
BJP ally and PMK leader S Ramadoss congratulated Kejriwal saying the reason for AAP's success was "simple". "People yearned for change due to corruption. Kejriwal respected the feelings of the people," he said, adding, Kejriwal should handle the victory with responsibility and not commit old mistakes. A more optimistic Anbumani Ramadoss tweeted: "PMK is going to do what AAP has done in Delhi for next year's election in Tamil Nadu!"