A day after humiliating defeat for SAD-BJP alliance in Delhi assembly poll, an Akali candidate attributed the debacle to negative campaign by the combine, controversial utterances by some Hindutva leaders and support of the Dera Sacha Sauda.
Akali Dal candidate from Rajouri Garden Manjinder Singh Sirsa charged BJP did not even consult Akali Dal before seeking the support of Dera and said the alliance failed to put forth the "positive" vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Delhi before the voters.
The Akalis, who are at loggerheads with Dera Sacha Sauda after its chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh came out with his pictures posing as Sikh Guru Gobind Singh, said taking the support of the Dera was "fatal" for them as Sikh voters did not support the alliance nor was SAD was consulted before taking Dera's support.
"The main reason for the defeat of BJP and Shiromani Akali Dal was the highly negative campaign run by the alliance in Delhi where we failed to take the positive vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Delhi to the voters.
"The utterances made by certain Hindutva leaders also proved costly," Sirsa told PTI.
The president of the Delhi unit of SAD's Youth wing said he has conveyed his feelings to the party leadership which will soon assess the reasons and take a call on corrective measures.
"The negative campaign by a few Sant mahatmas and sadhvis also proved costly. Definitely Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti's comments hurt me badly, though I tried to distance myself but the damage had already been done. It caused a lot of damage which is irrepairable," he said, recalling he was standing next to the Sadhvi when she used objectionable words.
Sirsa, who had contested on SAD symbol and lost to Jarnail Singh of AAP (who had hurled a shoe at former Finance Minister P Chidamabaram), lost by over 10,000 votes.
