The BJP juggernaut today rolled into the national capital and headed towards a resounding mandate in the municipal polls, crushing the ruling AAP and relegating the Congress to the margins.
The BJP's grand entry in local politics comes two years after it suffered a shock defeat in the Assembly polls in which a near-absolute majority had catapulted the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP into the national stage.
BJP - 181 | Cong - 30 | AAP - 48
The BJP's corporation-wise tally is: SDMC - 70, NDMC - 64 and EDMC - 47 as against AAP's tally of 16, 21 and 11 respectively. Congress finished last with 12, 15 and 3 wards.
For the AAP, the rout comes after successive jolts in Punjab, Goa and the Rajouri Garden Assembly bypoll here, effectively plunging it into a crisis against the backdrop of the opposition treating it as a "referendum" on the Kejriwal government.
With this, the AAP's grip over the national capital will considerably weaken, in terms of perception if not numbers, as it will not dent its comfortable majority in the 70-member Delhi Assembly.
The Congress, that was hoping to bounce back by putting up a creditable show, is staring at political oblivion. Ajay Maken, who has steered the party's local unit over the last two years, has resigned as the Delhi Pradesh Congress chief.
The AAP's top leadership put up a brave front suggesting it was all expected due to tampering with EVMs, an allegation that has been rubbished by the Election Commission. However, a section of the party, including senior leaders, privately distanced themselves from the official line on pinning the entire blame for its defeat on alleged EVM manipulation.
Experts credited the BJP's landslide victory to the ‘Modi wave’, while the AAP's debacle was described as the bursting of a political bubble.
Sanjay Kumar, Director of the Centre for Study of Developing Societies (CSDS), was of the view that the AAP's defeat will "reduce its chances of survival".
"The way the AAP has been routed, its chances of survival have been reduced. Parties contest elections all the time, they win and they lose as well, it should not be too worrisome for them. But, the AAP's case is different," he said.
Highlights:
* AAP's Delhi unit convener Dilip Pandey resigns over party's poor performance in MCD polls
* Both of us (me and Ajay Maken) in a way failed in our responsibility, Party should have opportunity to put things in order and improve situation: Congress leader PC Chacko
* PC Chacko offers to resign as Congress Delhi in-charge
* AAP's Alka Lamba offers to quit from all party posts, takes moral responsibility for party's defeat
- Ajay Maken to resign as Delhi Congress Chief
- Winning and losing is a part of democracy, one must accept mandate of the people with maturity: Nitin Gadkari
- Aggressive campaign karna chahiye tha, maine campaign nahi kiya kyunki kisi ne mujhe kaha hi nahi (The party should have done an aggressive campaign. I did not participate in campaigning because no one asked me to), says Congress leader Sheila Dikshit.
* BJP only viable option available to voter today&that is why BJP given mandate at every level; thank voter of Delhi: Union Minister Jitender Singh
Yeh Modi lehar nahi hai, EVM lehar hai, says AAP leader and Delhi minister Gopal Rai
- BJP wins from Janakpuri West and Janakpuri East
* Trends look in tune with what I saw during campaigning. People have faith in policies of BJP & leadership of PM Modi: Dr Harsh Vardhan
- Early trends show that BJP is leading in 31 wards, while AAP and Congress in 9 each.
- The counting of MCD election votes has begun.
- Senior BJP leader RP Singh tells ANI: “I am hopeful that party will get more than 200 seats but whatever the outcome is we won’t blame EVM for it.”
