Delhi election | Modi, Kejriwal, Rahul, Priyanka: Who said what as BJP eyes win

“People's power is supreme”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday (February 8) as the BJP headed for a big win in the Delhi assembly elections.

“Development and good governance have won”, the prime minister said as he thanked Delhi's voters for giving the BJP a historic win.

"We guarantee that we will leave no stone unturned to ensure the all-round development of Delhi and to make the lives of its people better. Along with this, we will also ensure that Delhi plays an important role in building a developed India. We will now be dedicated to the service of the people of Delhi with more strength," he added.

New era of development: Amit Shah

Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday hailed the Delhi poll results as the beginning of a new era of development in the national capital and an end to the reign of lies, deceit, and corruption.

In a series of posts on X, Shah, who is credited for shaping the details of the party's poll strategy, said Delhi would become an ideal capital under Modi's leadership.

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“The BJP is determined to fulfil all its promises and make Delhi the number one capital of the world,” wrote Shah.

Residents of Delhi have shown that repeated false promises cannot mislead people, he said, asserting that they answered through their votes to the problems of a polluted Yamuna, dirty drinking water, broken roads, overflowing sewers, and liquor shops in every street.

“Be it respect for women, self-respect of unauthorised colony residents, or the immense possibilities of self-employment, Delhi will now become an ideal capital under Modi's leadership,” he said.

Developed Delhi extremely necessary: Rajnath Singh

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh asserting that a developed Delhi was extremely necessary to fulfil the resolve of a developed India.

“The double-engine government will take the pace of development in Delhi to a new high,” he said in a post on X.

Victory of people’s unwavering support: Nadda

BJP president JP Nadda said the party's massive win was a victory of people's unwavering support in its model of service, good governance, welfare of the poor, and development under Modi's able leadership.

“The ‘AAP-da’ government in Delhi had crossed all limits of corruption, misgovernance and appeasement. The city is now free from its lies, deceit and fraud, and is starting a journey into a new era of progress and respect,” he claimed.

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Nadda said, "This historic mandate reflects people's trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision for a brighter and more progressive future for Delhi."

BJP govt will transform Delhi: Nirmala Sitharaman

Expressing happiness on the Delhi assembly election outcome, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday exuded confidence that the BJP government will certainly transform the national capital in line with India's Viksit Bharat aspirations.

She further said India's national capital should have a government which serves the cause of its people.

Referendum on Kejriwal and AAP: Congress

The results of the Delhi Assembly election are not a vindication of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's policies but a referendum on Arvind Kejriwal and AAP, the Congress said on Saturday as it vowed to bounce back from another whitewash.

"After all, at the height of the prime minister's popularity in 2015 and 2020, AAP had won decisively in Delhi. This shows that, rather than being vindication of the policies of the prime minister, this vote is a rejection of Arvind Kejriwal's politics of deceit, deception, and vastly exaggerated claims of achievement," he said in a post on X.

Also Read: Delhi election | ‘Aur lado’: Omar Abdullah’s cryptic dig at AAP, Congress

The Congress took the lead in highlighting the various scams that occurred under Kejriwal and the voters pronounced their judgement on his 12 years of "misrule", he added.

"The Congress was expecting to do better. It has, however, increased its vote share. The campaign of the Congress was vigorous. It may not be in the assembly but it is definitely a presence in Delhi, a presence that will be expanded electorally with the sustained efforts of lakhs of Congress workers," Ramesh said.

"There will be a Congress government once again in Delhi in 2030," he asserted.

We humbly accept Delhi's mandate: Rahul

Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, said his party humbly accepted the mandate of Delhi.

"Heartfelt thanks to all the Congress workers of the state for their dedication and all the voters for their support. This fight for the progress of Delhi and the rights of Delhiites - against pollution, inflation, and corruption - will continue," wrote Rahul.

People voted for change: Priyanka Gandhi

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday said the people of the national capital voted for change as they were fed up of with the way things were.

She told reporters that it was obvious during the party’s meetings ahead of the polls that the people wanted change.

“My congratulations to all those who have won. For the rest of us, it just means we have to work harder, stay there, be on the ground, and be responsive to the people’s issues,” said the Wayanad MP.

AAP will be available to people of Delhi: Kejriwal

AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal said he accepted the people’s mandate as he conceded his party’s defeat. In a video message, he said, “We accept people’s mandate with humility and I congratulate the BJP for its victory and also hope that it will fulfil the expectations of the people of Delhi.”

Reflecting on the work done by AAP in the past decade, Kejriwal said, “We have done a lot of work in education, water, electricity, infrastructure to provide relief to Delhiites.”

Kejriwal said that AAP will play the role of a constructive opposition, saying, “In the next five years, AAP will not only play the role of a constructive opposition, but will also be available to the people of Delhi. We are not in politics for power, instead we consider it as a medium to serve people.”

In the end, the AAP chief thanked all his party workers. “I thank all AAP workers for their hard work during the elections and we fought a good election.”

Struggle against BJP’s dictatorship will continue: Atishi

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Atishi on Saturday accepted the people's mandate in the assembly elections, calling it a "setback" but vowing to continue the party's struggle against the BJP.

"First of all, I thank the people of Delhi and our party workers who stood strong. We accept the mandate. The war against BJP's dictatorship and hooliganism will continue. This is a setback but AAP's fight for the people of Delhi and the country will go on," Atishi told reporters.

Also Read: Delhi elections | Anna Hazare blames Kejriwal for AAP's defeat

Expressing gratitude to her supporters, the AAP leader said, "I thank the people who trusted me. I also thank my team, which faced all challenges and took our message to the public. I have won my seat but this is not a time for celebration - this is the time to fight. The battle against BJP's authoritarianism will continue."

Atishi won the Kalkaji seat where she was pitted against BJP's Ramesh Vidhuri and Alka Lamba of the Congress.

Stating that AAP has always fought against injustice and will continue to do so, Atishi said, "Yes, this may be one step back, but AAP will keep fighting."

Pawan Khera responds to Omar's tweet

Senior Congress leader and spokesperson Pawan Khera apparently took a dig at Omar Abdullah, who in an earlier tweet had written sarcastically about the need for Opposition unity.

"The meltdown of a section of so-called liberals is completely bizarre. They didn't give these lectures on opposition unity to AAP when the party went to Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, etc to fight elections and weaken anti-communal, secular vote. Delhi election result is a rejection of the Trojan horse that attempted to damage the liberal cause across the country. Majority of liberals are rightly cheering the fall of the facase so that the real champion of liberal values - the Indian National Congress - can emerge stronger to take the BJP on and defeat it," wrote Pawan Khera in his post on X.

AAP ‘drowned’ due to liquor policy, focus on money: Anna Hazare

Activist Anna Hazare, once a mentor to Arvind Kejriwal, said the AAP "drowned" due to the liquor policy and its focus on money. In a jibe at Kejriwal, the anti-graft activist further said a candidate's character should be clean and he should know the virtues of sacrifice.

"With the liquor policy issue came the money and they drowned in it. The (AAP's) image was tarnished. People saw him (Arvind Kejriwal) talking about clean character and then about liquor," Hazare, who led the anti-corruption movement in 2011, told reporters in Ralegan Siddhi village.

Hazare said he stayed away from politics when the AAP was founded.

"I have been saying this since the beginning that when one contests polls, the candidate's character should be clean and spotless. I kept saying this but they (the AAP) did not understand it," he said.

Hazare said when allegations crop up, it is necessary to tell the people that these charges are wrong.

Falsehood has been defeated: Eknath Shinde

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Saturday credited the party's performance in the assembly polls to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's guarantees, and said "falsehood" has been defeated.

In a post on X, Shinde, the chief leader of the ruling Shiv Sena, said after Maharashtra, voters in Delhi have also reposed their faith in the BJP's leadership.

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Farewell of disaster: Jyotiraditya Scindia

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Saturday termed the outcome of the Delhi assembly polls as "AAP-da ki Vidai" or farewell of disaster.

"Delhi me AAP-da ki Vidai" (Delhi bids farewell to AAP-Da or aapda, which means disaster)," the Guna MP tweeted on X.

Smriti Irani takes dig at Kejriwal

BJP leader and former union minister, Smriti Irani, who last year herself lost the Lok Sabha election, took a dig at Arvind Kejriwal, saying "he had appointed himself as the harbinger of social reforms but is one of the most corrupt politicians in Delhi, and the people of Delhi have handed him a resounding defeat".

"They have left him free enough to go to jail now and pay for his crimes," said Irani.