LIVE | BJP sweeps Delhi elections; people have short-circuited short-cut politics: Modi
The saffron party won 48 seats, while the AAP could muster only 22 of the 70 Assembly seats
The BJP on Saturday (February 8) secured a resounding victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, returning to power after 27 years, and ending the Aam Aadmi Party’s decade-long reign in the national capital.
While the BJP won 48 of the 70 Assembly seats, the AAP could secure wins in just 22 constituencies. The Congress on the other hand was left red-faced, unable to open its account in Delhi for the third time in a row.
AAP's vote share dwindles, Congress' rises by 2%
In the 2019 Assembly polls, the AAP had bagged 62 seats while the BJP had won only eight.
The polls saw the BJP’s vote share rise by 7 per cent and the AAP’s fall by 10 per cent. The Congress despite drawing a blank improved its vote share by 2.1 per cent hike by polling 6.34 per cent of the valid votes as against 4.3 per cent in 2020.
What came as a major embarrassment for the AAP was the defeat of its top guns including party chief Arvind Kejriwal and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. Chief Minister Atishi and three ministers in the outgoing AAP government – Gopal Rai, Mukesh Ahlawat and Imran Hussain – however managed to secure wins, offering a rare consolation for the party.
Modi’s 'AAP-da', 'short-circuit' dig
Hailing the BJP's victory as "historic", Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a stinging attack on the AAP and the Congress, saying the country needs a serious political transformation and not politics of "dhoort-ta (deceit) and moorkhta (foolishness)".
He said the people of Delhi have "short-circuited the politics of short cuts" and asserted that the mandate has made it clear that there's no space for corruption and lies in politics.
Addressing party workers and supporters at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, Modi said these 'AAP-da' people came into politics saying that they will change politics but they emerged as "kattar baimaan (most dishonest)".
The prime minister said the people of Delhi have shown the door to 'AAP-da' and now a double-engine government will ensure development at a double speed.
‘Double-speed development for Delhi’
He said Delhiites are celebrating BJP's victory and respite from 'AAP-da', a term he used throughout the campaign to criticise the Aam Aadmi Party's rule.
"People of Delhi today have enthusiasm and satisfaction. There is relief of liberating Delhi from 'AAP-da'. I thank all Delhiites for entrusting their faith in 'Modi ki guarantee'," the prime minister said in his address from BJP headquarters.
"Now Delhi's double-engine government will ensure development at double speed. It is a historic win and not a usual victory as the people of Delhi have shown the door to 'AAP-da'. Delhi has become Aapda-mukt," Modi said.
‘Gold medal in defeat’: PM's swipe at Cong
Training his guns on the Congress, Modi said people have again given a big message to the opposition party and it has secured a "double hat-trick" in the national capital by failing to open account in six elections.
"These people are giving themselves the gold medal in defeat. The truth is that the country is not willing to trust the Congress. I had said the last time that the Congress has become a parasitic party. It drowns and takes down its allies with it," he said.
Modi claimed that the Congress is finishing off its allies one by one and its manner is also very interesting as it steals the issues and language of its coalition partners to dent their vote bank.
Read our election stories here
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- 8 Feb 2025 3:47 AM GMT
Candidates seek divine blessings, hope for victory
The BJP's New Delhi candidate Parvesh Verma visited a Hanuman temple to seek blessings.
"'Aaj sarkar banegi (Our government will be formed today)' ... Exit polls are indicating the same. I prayed to Hanuman ji for a good government in Delhi so that we can work in alignment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision," he told reporters.
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP's Kalkaji candidate Atishi described the elections as "a battle between good and evil, work and hooliganism".
She expressed confidence that the people of Delhi would stand with AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal's governance model.
Badli candidate and the Congress' city unit chief Devender Yadav also exuded confidence despite unfavourable exit polls. "We worked hard and I believe the people of Delhi will give the Congress a chance." Alka Lamba, the Congress' Kalkaji candidate, visited a Kali temple and sought blessings.
"I had 'darshan' of Goddess Kali. My only aim is to serve the people. The party worked very hard and we contested the elections for the people and their issues. Whatever decision the people of Delhi take, we will accept it," she said.
The BJP's RK Puram candidate Anil Sharma visited Kalkaji Mandir prior to the start of the counting exercise.
Expressing confidence over his party's victory, he said, "I am 100 per cent certain that the 'lotus (the BJP's election symbol)' will bloom in Delhi, especially in RK Puram. I sought blessings for the same." Former chief minister Sheila Dikshit's daughter Latika Dikshit, whose brother Sandeep Dikshit contested the elections from the New Delhi seat on a Congress ticket, expressed hope for the party's victory.
Praising her brother, she said, "He ran a clean campaign, going door-to-door and engaging with the people. That is how elections should be contested." The Congress' Patparganj candidate Anil Chaudhary also expressed optimism.
"The election in Patparganj was based on love. People discussed development and I am proud that they remembered the work I did as the MLA between 2008 and 2013," he said.
The BJP's Patel Nagar candidate Raaj Kumar Anand visited the Jhandewalan Hanuman temple to offer prayers before counting began.
