Manoj Tiwari Clarifies On Resignation Reports, Says Never Offered To Step Down As BJP Chief

Neither have I been asked to resign nor have I offered my resignation, said Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party chief Manoj Tiwari on Wednesday clarifying on reports that had suggested the BJP leader had proposed his resignation from his current post after the Delhi poll debacle. Manoj Tiwari, before the announcement of the assembly poll results, had claimed that his party would win more than 48 seats in the national capital.

Sources, however, earlier claimed that Tiwari had contacted a top party functionary and offered to step down as the Delhi unit chief after the BJP suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). "Neither have I been asked to resign nor have I offered my resignation," Tiwari told reporters.

On Tuesday, addressing a press conference after the announcement of Delhi Assembly election results, Tiwari had said whether he continues as Delhi BJP chief or steps down is an "internal matter" of the party. The BJP, which was hoping to return to power in the national capital after more than two decades, was restricted to a meagre eight seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly by the AAP.

Tiwari, who was appointed as Delhi BJP president in November 2016, has already completed his three-year tenure. The organisational elections of the party due last year were postponed because of the assembly elections.

On party’s poor performance, Tiwari had earlier said that the BJP will review why it failed to meet its own expectations in the Assembly polls and saw a moral victory in the fact that the party's vote share has increased since 2015.

"Delhi must have given mandate after careful thinking. Our vote percentage has increased from 32 per cent to around 38 per cent. Delhi did not reject us and the increase (in vote share) is a good sign for us," he told reporters.

He said the BJP hopes that there would be less blame game and more work in the national capital and congratulated Arvind Kejriwal on his party's victory in the polls.

After winning the Patparganj seat, AAP senior leader Manish Sisodia accused the BJP of indulging in the politics of hate. "We indulge in politics of development not politics of hate. We're against the roadblock in Shaheen Bagh as we were earlier," he said.