Ahead of competitors by at least a lakh votes: Mayank Gandhi

Aam Aadmi Party leader Mayank Gandhi said its chief Arvind Kejriwal's resignation as Delhi chief minister would not affect the party's poll prospects, even as the party candidate from North West Mumbai parliamentary seat claimed to have an edge over his competitors in the Lok Sabha elections.

“It was a legitimate political decision. The country at this time needs institutional reforms. We quit the national capital for larger institutional games," Gandhi said.

He also denied that the party would bear the brunt of Kejriwal's decision to resign from chief ministership of Delhi in just 49 days.

Gandhi said that they choose to go back to the people only for reforms. "Should the country wait for 5 more years for a Jan Lokpal? It was better we resigned from government and came back with a strong mandate and pass a strong anti-corruption law," he added.

The AAP leader has been fielded against sitting Congress MP Gurudas Kamat from North West Mumbai in the LS elections. Also, he will be facing Kamal Khan of the Samajwadi Party, Mahesh Manjarekar of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Gajanan Kirtikar of the Shiv Sena in the poll ring.

But he claimed to be in a favourable position over other contestants on the prestigious seat.

"From an internal survey that we have done, I am ahead of my competitors by at least 1,00,000 votes. More than half of the people we spoke to, favoured the Aam Aadmi party over other candidates," he said.

The 55-year-old social activist leader also slammed the media and said that objectivity in reporting was absent in the country.

"Media has been the pillar of democracy. There has to be an objectivity in media reporting. That is missing," he felt.

To a query on who will AAP support to form the government after the Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi said, "Though a formal discussion hasn't taken place as yet, we may decide to support a party based on certain conditions like Jan Lokpal and corruption issues."

However, he was quick to add that this was his personal opinion.

Image: Aam Aadmi Party leader Mayank Gandhi with Arvind Kejriwal