Delhi Assembly election results: It is victory of people of Delhi, says Arvind Kejriwal

Catch all the latest updates on Delhi Assembly Elections results here  

 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday congratulated AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for his party’s win in the Delhi assembly elections and wished him “the very best” in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of the national capital.

“Congratulations to AAP and shri @ArvindKejriwal ji for the victory in the Delhi assembly elections. Wishing them the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Delhi,” the Prime Minister wrote on Twitter.

The Aam Aadmi Party is set to form government in Delhi for a third consecutive term  - PTI

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) crossed the halfway mark in the 70-member Delhi Legislative Assembly, winning 36 seats and was leading in 26 seats, according to Election Commission figures.

Among those who registered victory are Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia, besides Raghav Chadha, Atishi and Dilip Pandey. - PTI

Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal won the New Delhi seat defeating BJP’s Sunil Kumar Yadav.

Kejriwal is all set to return to power for a third term with his party, according to latest results and trends, winning 34 seats and leading in 29 seats.

The Congress, which ruled Delhi for 15 consecutive years under Sheila Dikshit, on Tuesday stared at the prospect of scoring a duck for the second consecutive time in the assembly elections and being reduced to a fringe player in the national capital’s politics.

63 candidates of the Congress also lost their deposits.

The party, which ruled Delhi for 15 years on the trot under former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, failed to open its account for the second consecutive assembly election in Delhi.

Only three of its candidates — Arvinder Singh Lovely from Gandhi Nagar, Devender Yadav from Badli and Abhishek Dutt from Kasturba Nagar — managed to save their deposits.

Security deposit of a candidate is forfeited if he/she fails to secure one-sixth of the total valid votes cast in a constituency.

Most of Congress candidates got less than 5 per cent of the total votes polled in their respective constituencies.

Delhi Congress chief Shubhash Chopra’s daughter Shivani Chopra, who was the party candidate from Kalkaji, also could not save her deposit.

Former Delhi Assembly Speaker Yoganand Shastri’s daughter Priyanka Singh also forfeited her deposit.

The party’s campaign committee chairman Kirti Azad’s wife, Poonam Azad, lost badly and stood fourth, polling only 2,604

 - PTI

The Aam Aadmi Party has won 21 assembly seats in Delhi and is leading on 42, as per latest results and trends, with its prominent faces Manish Sisodia and Raghav Chadha emerging victorious from their respective constituencies.

The BJP has won the Gonda seat and is leading on six others, while the Congress stares at a blank.

Rebel AAP leader Kapil Mishra, who had joined the saffron party, suffered a crushing defeat in the Model Town constituency at the hands of AAP’s Akhilesh Pati Tripathi.

Sisodia, who was the deputy chief minister in the outgoing AAP-led dispensation and led its education reform efforts, defeated his BJP rival Ravinder Singh Negi by over 3,000 votes, after initial hiccups.

Raghav Chadha, who was fielded from the Rajinder Nagar constituency in place of the sitting AAP MLA, also defeated his BJP rival Sardar R P Singh.

As per election trends, Atishi, who was fielded from Kalkaji, is also poised for a victory after initially trailing from the seat.

However, the BJP candidate for the seat, Dharambir Singh, alleged there was some issue with an EVM and requested for a recount, poll officials said.

Rajendra Pal Gautam, who held the portfolio of social welfare minister in the outgoing Delhi government, defeated BJP ally Lok Jan Shakti Party’s Sant Lal.

AAP’s S K Bagga won from the Krishna Nagar constituency where he was pitted against BJP’s Anil Goyal.

The Tri Nagar and Shalimar Bagh seats also went to Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Its Preeti Tomar won the Tri Nagar seat by 12,000 votes, while Bandana Kumari emerged victorious on the Shalimar Bagh seat by a margin of 800 votes.

AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar defeated Raj Kumar of the BJP from the Kondli seat.

Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat of the AAP defeated the BJP’s Ram Chander Chawriya from Sultanpur Majra, a reserved seat.

Mohinder Goyal of the AAP won the Rithala seat after defeating BJP’s Manish Chaudhary, while Jangpura seat was won by AAP’s Praveen Kumar who defeated BJP’s Impreet Singh Bakshi.

Ram Singh Netaji of the AAP won the Badarpur seat against Ramvir Singh Bidhuri of the BJP.

AAP’s Prakash Jarwal won the Deoli seat, defeating Arvind Kumar of the BJP, while the party’s candidate Naresh Balyan retained the Uttam Nagar seat after defeating BJP’s Krishan Gahlot.

In Shakur Basti, AAP’s senior leader Satyendar Jain won after defeating Dr SC Vats. Jain was trailing Vats in the initial trends.

Rajesh Gupta of the AAP emerged victorious from the Wazirpur seat while BJP’s Dr Mahender Nagpal stood second.

Seelampur, which witnessed violence during a protest against the new citizenship law, saw AAP’s Abdul Rehman emerging victorious against Kaushal Kumar Mishra of BJP. Rehman defeated his rival by a margin of 25,000 votes.

Surendra Kumar of the AAP defeated Ranjeet Singh of the BJP to win the Gokalpur seat. AAP’s Raghuvinder Shokeen won the Nangloi Jat seat against BJP’s Suman Lata while AAP’s Ajay Dutt won the Ambedkar Nagar seat after defeating BJP’s Khushiram Chunar.

BJP’s Ajay Mahawar won the Gonda seat by a margin of 27,000 votes, defeating AAP’s Shridutt Sharma - PTI

AAP’s Amanatullah Khan wins Delhi’s Okhla seat by nearly 70,000 votes.

Congress leader and Punjab cabinet minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot said his party was not defeated in the Delhi election as its tally remained at zero like in 2015, and so it was the BJP’s loss.

“We were zero earlier, and this time too we are zero. So it’s not our defeat. It’s a defeat for the BJP,” he told mediapersons here, referring to the election trends which gave the Congress no seat in the Delhi assembly election.

The Congress had not won even a single seat in the 2015 Assembly polls too.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in Punjab Assembly Harpal Singh Cheema hailed the AAP’s performance in the Delhi Assembly election as a “victory of agenda of development over that of hatred and dirty politics“.

AAP party leader Gopal Rai asked volunteers to get ready, saying “what can happen in Delhi can expand to the whole country”. Rai, who was a minister in the previous Arvind Kejriwal-led government, retained Babarpur constituency by defeating BJP’s Naresh Gaur.

“The whole country needs change. I urge my volunteers to prepare themselves. Get ready. What can happen in Delhi can expand to the whole country,” he told reporters. - PTI

Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said: “The people of Delhi have chosen ‘Jan Ki Baat’ over ‘Mann Ki Baat’ There is a (BJP-led central) government in Delhi with so called nationalistic views, which used the entire machinery and force in the Delhi Assembly polls but failed before the broom.”

Broom is the poll symbol of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Adami Party.

“Kejriwal was termed as a terrorist. Instead of focusing on local issues, they (BJP) tried to bring in international issues and change people’s minds, but failed.

The people of Delhi have stood firmly behind Kejriwal for his honesty and willingness to work for their betterment,” Thackeray said without taking BJP’s name.

“There were some people who were under the illusion that they are the only ones who love the nation while all political opponents are anti-nationals. The people of Delhi have shown such people their place,” the Shiv Sena chief said. - PTI

 

 

Manoj Tiwari accepts defeat in polls, thanks people of Delhi

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Tuesday congratulated Arvind Kejriwal on his party’s victory in the Assembly polls and thanked the voters of the national capital. “Thank you to all the voters of Delhi. Thank you to all the party workers for their hard work We respect the mandate of people. @ArvindKejriwal congratulations to you,” he posted on Twitter in Hindi.

 

Tiwari had asserted that his party will win more than 45 seats in the 70-member Assembly and form the government.

 

AAP’s Delhi win a victory of freebies: Anil Vij

Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij described the AAP win in the Delhi Assembly elections as a victory of freebies. The BJP leader took to Twitter as trends indicated that the Aam Aadmi Party would sweep the Delhi polls.

“Delhi ke chunaav mein muddhay haar gaye, muftkhori jeet gai (in the Delhi elections, issues lost, freebies won),” he wrote on his Twitter handle.

The apparent reference was to cheap power and water besides free bus rides for women in the capital. Apart from these, the AAP had highlighted its performance in the education and health sectors during the campaign.

Many BJP leaders, however, focused on issues like anti-CAA protests.

AAP clinches 10 constituencies

The Aam Aadmi Party registered win in 10 constituencies, with its prominent faces Manish Sisodia and Raghav Chadha emerging victorious from their respective constituencies after a seasaw battle.

Sisodia, who was the deputy chief minister in the AAP-led dispensation and led the Delhi government’s education reforms, defeated his BJP rival Ravinder Singh Negi by over 3,000 votes, after trailing in the initial trends.

 

Raghav Chadha, who was fielded from Rajinder Nagar constituency in place of the sitting MLA, also went on to defeat his BJP rival.

He registered a comfortable victory over his BJP rival Sardar R P Singh from the seat.

 

Atishi, who was fielded from Kalkaji, was also poised for victory after initially trailing from the seat.

However, BJP’s candidate for Kalkaji seat, Dharambir Singh alleged that there is an issue with an EVM and requested for a recount, poll officials said.

AAP’s S K Bagga won from the Krishna Nagar constituency where he was pitted against BJP’s Anil Goyal.

The Tri Nagar and Shalimar Bagh seats also went to Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

AAP’s Preeti Tomar won the Tri Nagar seat by 12,000 votes, while Bandana Kumari emerged victorious on the Shalimar Bagh seat by a margin of 800 votes. AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar was fighting against Raj Kumar of BJP and defeated him from the Kondli seat.

Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat of the AAP defeated BJP’s Ram Chander Chawriya from Sultanpur Majra, a reserved seat.

Mohinder Goyal of the AAP also won the Rithala seat after defeating BJP’s Manish Chaudhary, while Jangpura seat was won by AAP’s Praveen Kumar after defeating BJP’s Impreet Singh Bakshi.

Ram Singh Netaji of AAP won the Badarpur seat against Ramvir Singh Bidhuri of BJP.

The AAP appeared to be heading back to power for a second term in Delhi, with the party leading in 62 of the total 70 seats, and the BJP ahead in 8 seats, according to the Election Commission figures. - PTI

 

"BJP accepts mandate given by people of Delhi, will play role of constructive opposition," says party president JP Nadda. He also congratulated Kejriwal, and hoped that the AAP will work for all-round development of Delhi.

 

 

Addressing the party workers after winning the Delhi elections, CM Arvind Kejriwal said that a new 'politics of work' had taken birth in Delhi. He called his party's win a victory for India. "It is victory of people of Delhi who considered me their son," Kejriwal said. He also thanked people of Delhi  for voting for the AAP.

Other AAP leaders also said the big mandate has shown that “kaam ki rajneeti” (politics of work) has won and that “work is true nationalism".

 

Delhi has said Kejriwal is ‘not a terrorist’, Hindustan saved: AAP leader Sanjay Singh

AAP leader Sanjay Singh said the country has been saved with the people of Delhi giving a befitting reply to the BJP, which had called Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a “terrorist“.

“We have been saying since beginning that the upcoming polls will be fought on the basis of work done by us and it is too early. First of all, I want to thank the people of Delhi for giving a befitting reply to the BJP,” Singh told reporters.

“Hindustan has been saved (India has been saved). People of Delhi showed that despite BJP leaders putting all force behind it (election campaign), the son of Delhi won.

“Amit Shah has been shown that the son of Delhi has won and the people of Delhi have voted for the development and progress and that is the way forward,” he said. - PTI

 

AAP's Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat wins Sultanpur Majra constituency by 48052 votes.  Meanwhile, Raaj Kumar Anand from the same party won Patel Nagar (SC).

Celebrations at AAP office as trends show thumping victory for party

Carrying blue and white balloons, buntings and giant cut-outs of their leader Arvind Kejriwal, AAP workers went into celebratory mode at the party headquarters on Tuesday as trends showed the party was set for a massive victory in the Delhi Assembly polls.

Grooving to the tunes of the party’s campaign song - ‘Lage Raho Kejriwal’ - and drumbeats, hundreds of AAP workers celebrated at the party office.

As the party’s tally went up, AAP supporters hugged each other and offered ‘ladoos’ amid a surcharged atmosphere.

Several supporters draped themselves in the Tricolour and flashed victory signs as the giant screen showed the party’s surge.

The party workers interpreted the AAP show as the victory of development works.

A stage, decorated with balloons and flowers, was also set up on the roof of the party office, from where Kejriwal is expected to address workers after the final results are announced.

 

 

 

Raghav Chadha wins Rajinder Nagar constituency by 20,058 votes

Sharad Pawar on Delhi Elections

Delhi poll results indicate ‘winds of change’ blowing in the country, said NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

He also congratulated Arvind Kejriwal for his win through a tweet.

 

Manish Sisodia wins from Patparganj after initial hiccups

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia won the Patparganj seat in East Delhi after a tough fight against BJP’s Ravinder Singh Negi.

After trailing initially, Sisodia wrested the seat in final rounds of counting - PTI

 

Congress accepts defeat, vows to rebuild itself

The Congress has accepted its defeat in the Delhi Assembly polls and has vowed to rebuild and revive itself at the grassroots level in the national capital.

It said the poll results also had a message for the BJP that the “most toxic campaign” unleashed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah has been defeated.

“People’s mandate is against us, we accept it. We have resolved to revive and rebuild the party,” Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said at a press conference.

Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra said, “Attempts to polarise were made by both parties (BJP and AAP) and they were successful to an extent.”

However, he added, the results also showed that the people of Delhi were not with the communal forces.

AICC Delhi in-charge P C Chacko said the message of Delhi polls is that the “most toxic campaign” unleashed by Modi and Shah has been defeated by the people of the national capital. - PTI

What happened to BJP’s tall claims of win? Kamal Nath on Delhi Elections

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said he was aware of his own party Congress’ dismal show in the Delhi Assembly polls, but questioned the BJP about its “tall claims” of victory.

When asked about Congress’ poor performance in the Delhi polls, Nath told reporters, “We are aware of this. But what happened to the BJP which was making tall claims? Being at the Centre, Modiji is close to Delhi’s electorate which would have elected the BJP, if satisfied with his work.”

He said BJP leaders now don’t talk about unemployment and farmers, but they speak on issues like nationalism, Pakistan and Citizenship Amendment Act.

The “real face” of the BJP has now been exposed, the chief minister said.

“I have a basic question about CAA. Is there any war going on, or refugees coming to India? Then what was the need to get CAA passed by conducting Parliament proceedings till midnight? What was their aim? They only wanted to give a divisive message,” Nath alleged. - PTI

 

Top leaders congratulate Arvind Kerjriwal

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also congratulated his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal.

“Congratulations to @ArvindKejriwal and @AamAadmiParty on a resounding victory in Delhi elections. Let this victory be a harbinger for pro-people and inclusive politics in our country,” he tweeted.

DMK President MK Stalin tweeted: "“I congratulate @ArvindKejriwal and @AamAadmiParty for forming government yet again in Delhi, on a massive mandate. This is a clear vindication that development trumps communal politics. Federal rights and regional aspirations must be strengthened in the interest of our country.” - PTI

Credit: ECI Website

 

Congress on Delhi election results

People’s mandate is against us, we accept it; we have resolved to strengthen and rebuild party, Congress said.

AAP, BJP attempted to polarise assembly polls, were successful to some extent, said Delhi Cong chief Subhash Chopra.

With the early trends suggesting a third term for the AAP in Delhi, senior party leader Sanjay Singh said by giving a “massive mandate”, people of the national capital have said that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is not a terrorist but a staunch nationalist. Despite the BJP using all its might to wrest power in the national capital, the “son of Delhi” won, he said.

The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is leading on 57 seats while the BJP on 13, according to Election Commission (EC).

“The two crore families of Delhi have now said that their son Arvind Kejriwal is not a terrorist but a staunch nationalist. I salute the people of Delhi from (for) giving AAP such a massive mandate,” Singh said in a tweet.

 

The AAP leader was referring to remarks made by BJP MP Parvesh Verma at a poll rally. Verma had called Kejriwal a “terrorist” over his alleged support to an anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protest in south Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh.

“Despite BJP leaders putting all their force behind it (election campaign), the son of Delhi won. Amit Shah has been shown that the son of Delhi has won and people of Delhi have voted for development and progress,” said Singh, referring to Kejriwal. Singh was addressing party workers at the AAP headquarters here.

According to EC’s website, Kejriwal was leading from his New Delhi constituency. He reached the party office as the counting got underway. - PTI

Delhi Assembly dissolved

Lt Governor Anil Baijal dissolved the Delhi Assembly, an official said. “Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday dissolved the Sixth Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi with effect from February 11,” the official said, as counting of votes in the Assembly election is underway.

“A new order will be issued for the formation of the Seventh Legislative Assembly after the final results come,” the official said. - PTI

Mamata Banerjee congratulates Arvind Kejriwal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, who appeared to be heading back to power in Delhi. Banerjee said people have rejected BJP’s policies. “I have congratulated Kejriwal, people of Delhi. It is a victory of democracy,” the chief minister said, in her reaction to the Delhi election trends.

 

AAP leads with over 10,000 votes in 15 seats

AAP candidates were poised for victory with margins of over 10,000 votes in 15 constituencies, including Chandni Chowk and Tilak Nagar while BJP’s Jagdish Pradhan was the only candidate from the BJP to lead by a margin of over 26,000 votes from the Mustafabad seat, the latest election trends showed.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was trailing by 859 votes from the Patparganj constituency while AAP’s Atishi was leading by a slender margin of six votes from the Kalkaji seat.

BJP’s Jagdish Pradhan was ahead of Aam Aadmi Party’s Haji Yunus by a margin of 26,656 votes from Mustafabad, which is a minority dominated constituency. Congress’s Ali Mehdi polled only 2,074 votes.

Incumbent AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha was ahead of his JD(U) rival Shailender Kumar by 18,285 votes from the Burari seat, which has a considerable Poorvanachali population. In Chandni Chowk constituency, AAP’s Parlad Singh Sawhney was ahead of his BJP rival Suman Kumar Gupta by 17,668 votes. Sitting MLA Alka Lamba, who shifted loyalties to the Congress from the AAP, polled only 609 votes.

Deoli, which is a reserved seat, saw AAP’s sitting MLA Prakash Jarwal, surging towards victory with a margin of 10,679 votes. BJP’s Arvind Kumar was on the second spot. AAP’s Surender Kumar was ahead of his BJP rival Ranjeet Singh by a comfortable margin of 14,740 votes from Gokalpur constituency, which is also a reserved seat.

Sitting MLA from Karol Bagh, Vishesh Ravi was ahead of BJP’s Yogender Chandoloya by a margin of 13,070 votes while AAP’s Kuldeep Kumar was leading his BJP rival Raj Kumar with a margin of 16,926 votes. Both Karol Bagh and Kondli are reserved seats.

Five-time MLA from Matia Mahal Shoaib Iqbal, who had joined AAP ahead of the assembly polls was leading by a margin of 12,973 votes while BJP’s Ravinder Gupta was in the second spot. Iqbal had earlier been with the Congress and the Janata Dal.

In Model Town constituency, AAP’s Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, was ahead of AAP rebel Kapil Mishra, who was fielded by the BJP, by a margin of 10,400 seats. Mishra was a minister in the AAP-led Delhi government but had rebelled against the party and later joined the saffron party.

AAP’s Raaj Kumar Anand was leading against BJP’s Pravesh Ratn from the reserved Patel Nagar seat by 15,380 votes. AAP’s Raghav Chadha, who replaced sitting MLA Vijender Garg in Rajinder Nagar, was ahead of BJP’s Sardar RP Singh by a margin of 15,211 votes.

AAP’s sitting MLA and Delhi Jal Board chairman Dinesh Mohaniya was poised for victory from Sangam Vihar seat as he was ahead of his JD(U) rival Shiv Charan Lal Gupta with a margin of 18,793 votes.

Seemapuri, again a reserved constituency, saw Delhi minister Rajendra Pal Gautam, leading against Lok Jan Shakti Party’s San Lal, with a margin of 17,572 votes. Trilokpuri (reserved constituency), saw AAP’s Rohit Kumar, surging towards victory over his BJP rival Kiran with a margin of 20,618 votes.

In Sultanpur Majra (reserved), AAP’s Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat was leading against BJP’s Ram Chander Chawariya by a margin of 22,732 votes while in Tilak Nagar, AAP’s sitting MLA Jarnail Singh was ahead of BJP’s Rajiv Babbar by over 15,211 votes. - PTI

Riding on its development agenda, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party is set for a resounding victory in the Delhi assembly elections to retain power for a third term.

As counting of votes is underway, the AAP was leading in 58 of 70 seats and the BJP in 12, leaving the Congress virtually decimated in a city it had ruled for three consecutive terms under Sheila Dikshit, according to Election Commission figures.

The elections took place in the midst of massive protests in the city and elsewhere over the new citizenship law, the National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register. The BJP faced charges of carrying out a “divisive” campaign to polarise the voters by consistently highlighting the over 50-day demonstration by a group of women in Shaheen Bagh area.

Though BJP’s campaign focused on national security issues, the AAP mainly focused on its achievements in the fields of education, healthcare and infrastructure. The AAP had registered a sensational victory in 2015 by winning 67 seats in a hurricane march that almost wiped out the BJP and the Congress.

According to latest trends, Kejriwal was leading in his New Delhi constituency by over 6,300 votes, while his deputy Manish Sisodia was 754 votes behind BJP’s Ravinder Singh Negi in Patparganj. Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot was leading by 1,115 votes from Najafgarh constituency.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain was leading by 309 votes in Shakur Basti constituency and BJP’s S C Vats was second. Labour Minister Gopal Rai was leading in Babarpur and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain in Ballimaran.

Kejriwal is expected to address party workers and the media later in the day. However, his party workers were upbeat and in celebratory mode. “We have been saying since the beginning that the upcoming polls will be fought on the basis of work done by us... You wait and watch, we will register a massive win,” AAP spokesperson Sanjay Singh told reporters.

“We hope we get such a clear majority that a message goes out that doing Hindu-Muslim politics will not work anymore,” said AAP volunteer Fareen Khan at the party office.

The headquarters were decorated with blue and white balloons and big cutouts of Kejriwal were placed in different parts of the office. - PTI

AAP wins two seats

The Tri Nagar and Shalimar Bagh seats have gone to the Aam Aadmi Party, poll officials said, as they declared first results for the Delhi assembly election counting for which is underway.

AAP’s Preeti Tomar won the Tri Nagar seat by 12,000 votes, while Bandana Kumari emerged victorious on the Shalimar Bagh seat by a margin of 800 votes, the officials said. - PTI

The trends and initial results showed a clear lead for the ruling AAP in the Delhi Assembly as the counting of about 50 per cent votes (nine rounds) is completed. The BJP that claimed that it will win more than 45 seats, however, failed to come somewhere near it, but improved its position compared to the 2015 results.

The AAP is leading in 56 seats and the BJP is leading in 14 seats. It looks like that the Congress is not in a position to make a comeback to the Assembly.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Labour Minister Gopal Rai were leading but Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was trailing from his Patpatganj constituency. Other senior AAP leaders such as Somnath Bharti and Atishi M were leading. BJP leader Vijender Gupta was leading in Rohinu but spokesman Tajinder Bagga was training from leading from Hari Nagar constituency.

Kejriwal reached AAP headquarters at Deendayal Upadhyay Marg and started a discussion with senior leaders. He also had a meeting with party's strategist Prashant Kishore. - Our Bureau

 

 

BJP’s sitting MLAs lead

Early vote-counting trends for the Delhi Assembly polls showed that the three sitting BJP MLAs -- Vijender Gupta, Om Prakash Sharma and Jagdish Pradhan -- are leading in their respective constituencies.

According to the Election Commission (EC), Pradhan is leading by 29,780 votes from Mustafabad constituency, while the ruling Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Haji Yunus is trailing. Gupta, who is also the Opposition Leader in the Delhi Assembly, is leading by over 2,000 votes from Rohini constituency. In Vishwas Nagar, Sharma is leading by 8,770 votes. - PTI

No firecrackers during celebrations: Kejriwal

As AAP is set to register a massive victory in the assembly polls, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal asked party volunteers to not burst firecrackers during celebrations to prevent air pollution.

AAP volunteers grooved to party anthem “Lage Raho Kejriwal” and hugged each other and maintained they will strictly abide by the direction of Kejriwal.

 

They said other preparations, including ordering sweets and namkeens and even “band baja”, were underway at the party’s ITO headquarters.

The AAP was leading on 57 seats while the BJP on 13, according to the latest election trends. Reducing air pollution was one of the main promises made by the AAP in its manifesto and “guarantee card”. - PTI

Senior RJD leader Manoj Jha said the biggest message from the Delhi Assembly polls is for the BJP that “poisonous” campaign and statements will not work. He said the message has also gone out to Bihar where assembly polls are due next year, and to the rest of the country.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had contested the Delhi election on four seats in alliance with the Congress. The alliance was staring at a massive defeat in the national capital.

“We are not at all disappointed, people have given their mandate (for AAP). The biggest message is for the BJP that poisonous campaign and statements will not work,” Jha told reporters. “The message has also gone to Bihar and the rest of the country. Hopefully, the BJP would do course correction and ask its leaders to shun divisive politics,” the Rajya Sabha MP said. - PTI

AAP leaders: Who are leading and who are trailing?

Prominent AAP leaders Atishi, Raghav Chadha and Dilip Pandey were leading in their constituencies over their respective BJP rivals, the latest election trends showed. The AAP had dropped its sitting MLAs to field the three leaders, who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election last year.

Chadha, who replaced Vijender Garg in Rajinder Nagar, was ahead of BJP’s Sardar RP Singh by over 6,500 votes. Congress’s Rocky Tuseed, the youngest candidate in the assembly election, was at the third position with only 928 votes.

Atishi, who replaced Avtar Singh Kalka in Kalkaji, was trailing initially but surged ahead by over 200 votes by 11.30am. BJP’s Dharambir Singh was close second while Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra’s daughter Shivani Chopra was a distant third.

Pandey, who replaced Pankaj Pushkar in Timarpur constituency, was leading with over 5,000 votes. BJP’s Surender Pal Singh was at the second position. AAP’s Durgesh Pathak was trailing by over 6,600 votes in Karawal Nagar, previously held by party rebel Kapil Mishra.

Mishra later joined BJP and is contesting from Model Town. - PTI

 

Kejriwal leads, Sisodia trails

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is leading in his New Delhi constituency, while his deputy Manish Sisodia is trailing behind BJP candidate Ravinder Singh Negi.

According to poll trends by the Election Commission, the chief minister is leading by over 6,300 votes while Sisodia is trailing by 754 votes from Patparganj constituency. Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot is leading by 1,115 votes from Najafgarh constituency and BJP’s Ajeet Singh Kharkhari is leading.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain is leading by 309 votes in Shakur Basti constituency and BJP’s S C Vats was second. Labour Minister Gopal Rai and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain are leading from Babarpur and Ballimaran constituencies respectively.

According to the EC website, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is leading in 57 seats, while the BJP is ahead in 13. - PTI

Proving the exit polls correct, the AAP gained 53.23 percentage of the total votes polled as almost ten rounds of counting was over. The BJP, which got 56.58 per cent votes in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, managed to get just 39.13 per cent votes in the Assembly polls.

This is a clear change from the results of the Lok Sabha where the AAP was pushed to third position, behind the Congress. In Assembly, people reposed their faith with the AAP and the Congress could get just about 4.10 per cent of the votes.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, while the BJP got 56.58 per cent votes and all the seven seats, the Congress got 22.46 per cent votes and came second in all the seven seats. The AAP got just 14.9 per cent votes. and was a poor third in the list. It looked like that the opponents of the BJP saw a chance for Congress improving its position in the Lok Sabha elections, but in the Assembly, the winds turned towards the AAP.

In the 2015 Assembly polls, the AAP had gained 67 seats and 54.3 per cent votes. The BJP managed three seats with 32.3 per cent votes and the Congress got 9.7 per cent votes with no seats. The results show that people stood with the AAP for a campaign based on livelihood issues and the BJP's efforts to polarise the voters citing the anti CAA protests did not succeed. - Our Bureau

AAP leaders at Akshardam counting centre

 

 

The Delhi Assembly election was a fight between “a giant and a pygmy” and the AAP is winning it despite the NDA government using all its might to wrest power in the national capital, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said.

As trends indicated that the Aam Aadmi Party was leading on 56 seats and the BJP on 14, Chowdhury said the people of Delhi voted for development. The Congress party was not leading on any of the 70 constituencies, according to latest trends.

“The common people have decided they will choose either BJP or AAP. It’s a vote for the development agenda. The entire government, along with all its entire machinery, had been deployed in Delhi to win this election. From PM to grassroots workers, it’s been a fight between a giant and a pygmy and the pygmy has won,” he said. - PTI

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is leading in his New Delhi constituency, while his deputy Manish Sisodia is trailing behind BJP candidate Ravinder Singh Negi.

According to poll trends by the Election Commission, the chief minister is leading by over 6,300 votes while Sisodia is trailing by 754 votes from Patparganj constituency. Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot is leading by 1,115 votes from Najafgarh constituency and BJP’s Ajeet Singh Kharkhari is leading.

Health Minister Satyendar Jain is leading by 309 votes in Shakarpur constituency and BJP’s S C Vats was second. Labour Minister Gopal Rai and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain are leading from Babarpur and Ballimaran constituencies respectively.

According to the EC website, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is leading in 57 seats, while the BJP is ahead in 13. - PTI

BJP candidate Braham Singh is leading from the Okhla assembly constituency, which has been witnessing large-scale protests against the new citizenship law. Incumbent MLA Amanatullah Khan was trailing by 194 votes, according to the data shared by the Election Commission.

Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Nagar fall under the Okhla constituency.

Seelampur, which had witnessed incidents of violence during a protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, saw Aam Aadmi Party candidate Abdul Rehman leading by 420 votes with BJP’s Kaushal Kumar Mishra in the second position.

AAP’s Vishesh Ravi leading by over 10,000 votes from Karol Bagh ; BJP’s Yogender Chandoliya second

Congress’ Alka Lamba trailing by over 12,000 votes from Chandni Chowk constituency, AAP’s Parlad Singh Sawhney leading

Sources: ECI results

The Aam Aadmi Party appeared to be heading back to power for a second term in Delhi with the party leading in 52 seats of the 70 and the BJP ahead in 18 as votes for last week’s assembly elections were counted, according to Election Commission figures.

The contest for political power over the national capital was a bipolar one with the Congress nowhere in the reckoning, according to initial trends.

AAP supremo and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was leading in the New Delhi seat by 4,300 seats, while his deputy Manish Sisodia from Patparganj seat was ahead by 102 votes. BJP leader Vijender Gupta, who is also leader of opposition in the Delhi legislative assembly, was trailing by over 1,200 votes from Rohini .

As early celebrations broke out in the AAP headquarters in Rouse Avenue, BJP’s Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari asked his party supporters not to lose hope. “There are 27 seats where the difference of votes is between 700 to 1,000,” Tiwari told reporters.

Looking ahead at victory, he said he was not nervous and was ready to take on the responsibilities that a win would bring. “All talk is over. We have to wait for the blessings of the people. I am confident it will be a good day for BJP. We are coming to power in Delhi today. Don’t be surprised if we win 55 seats,” Tiwari said.

Kejriwal, who had led his party to a spectacular win of 67 of 70 seats in 2015, is expected to address party workers and the media later in the day. However, his party workers were upbeat and in celebratory mode.

“We have been saying since the beginning that the upcoming polls will be fought on the basis of work done by us... You wait and watch, we will register a massive win,” AAP spokesperson Sanjay Singh told reporters. “We hope we get such a clear majority that a message goes out that doing Hindu-Muslim politics will not work anymore,” said AAP volunteer Fareen Khan at the party office.

The headquarters were decorated with blue and white balloons and big cutouts of Kejriwal were placed in different parts of the office.

Labour Minister and AAP’s Delhi unit convenor Gopal Rai was leading in Badarpur constituency by 1,994 votes. Atishi, AAP’s Kalkaji candidate, who was also instrumental in the transformation of Delhi government schools, was trailing by 190 votes.

AAP’s Timarpur candidate Dilip Pandey was leading by over 1,500 votes.

BJP’s Tajinder Singh Bagga was trailing on Hari Nagar seat by over 50 votes, while AAP’s Raghav Chadha is leading from Rajinder Nagar constituency.

Congress’ Chandni Chowk candidate Alka Lamba, who is sitting MLA from the constituency, was trailing by over 5,800 votes.

While the AAP, of course, put forward Kejriwal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were among those who extensively campaigned for the BJP.

The Congress, still recovering maybe from the death of its three-time Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit in July last year, got into campaign mode much later. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were among those who campaigned for the Congress. - PTI

BJP candidate Anil Goyal leading in Krishna Nagar by 2,867 votes, AAP’s S K Bagga trailing

Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain trailing by 51 votes from Shakur Basti ; BJP’s S C Vats leading

AAP candidate Sanjeev Jha leading by 6,988 votes from Burari constituency

Delhi Assembly Speaker and AAP leader Ram Niwas Goel trailing from Shahdara by 1,303 votes; BJP’s Sanjay Goyal in the lead

Party trends

 

Labour Minister Gopal Rai leading from Badarpur constituency by 1,994 votes

Congress’ Alka Lamba trailing by over 5,800 votes from Chandni Chowk constituency

Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot leading by 85 seats on Najafgarh constituency

AAP’s Durgesh Pathak trailing by over 2,800 votes from Karawal Nagar seat, BJP’s Mohan Singh Bisht in the lead

AAP’s Haji Yunus trailing by over 14,000 votes in Mustafabad , BJP’s Jagdish Pradhan leading

AAP’s Shoaib Iqbal leading by over 9,500 votes on Matia Mahal seat, BJP’s Ravinder Gupta second

AAP’s Preeti Tomar trailing by 1,500 votes in Trinagar constituency

Celebration at AAP headquarters

Celebrations broke out at the AAP headquarters as early vote-counting trends showed a comfortable victory for the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led party. The headquarters were decorated with blue and white balloons and big cut-outs of Kejriwal were placed in different parts of the party office.

 

“We knew it. We have changed the politics of this country. Now it is Delhi, next is India,” said Sanjeev Singh, a party volunteer from Hari Nagar. Another volunteer Fareen Khan said, “We hope we get such a clear majority that a message goes out that doing Hindu-Muslim politics will not work anymore.”

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is leading in 26 seats while the BJP is leading in 14 seats, according to early trends by the Election Commission. According to the EC’s website, AAP convenor Kejriwal is leading in his New Delhi constituency. - PTI

AAP’s Imran Hussain leading from Ballimaran constituency by over 1,400 votes.

BJP’s Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga trailing on Hari Nagar seat by over 50 votes, AAP’s Raj Kumari Dhillon leading.

Deputy CM Manish Sisodia leading from Patparganj constituency by 112 votes, BJP candidate Ravinder Singh Negi trailing.

AAP’s Dilip Pandey leading with over 1500 votes from Timarpur constituency.

AAP’s Raghav Chadha leading from Rajinder Nagar constituency.

Stating that he was not nervous, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said preparations for celebration at party offices had begun, as initial trends trickled in for the assembly polls. “I am not nervous. We have appeared for a test, results will now come in,” he told reporters.

He said he was ready to take responsibilities that the “victory” would bring and hailed the hardwork of the party workers who, he said, worked tirelessly for the victory. “Now, all talk is over. Now, we have to wait for the blessings of the people. I am confident it will be a good day for BJP. We are coming to power in Delhi today. Don’t be surprised if we win 55 seats,” he said.

The Aam Aadmi Party was leading on 41 seats while the BJP on 19, according to early trends by the Election Commission. Trends were so far available for 60 out of the 70 seats in Delhi. According to EC’s website, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was leading from his New Delhi constituency. He reached his party office as the counting got underway. - PTI

Sources: ECI results

AAP will register massive win: Sanjay Singh

AAP leader Sanjay Singh said his party will register a “massive win” in the Delhi Assembly election.

“We have been saying since the beginning that the upcoming polls will be fought on the basis of work done by us and it is too early. You wait and watch we will register a massive win,” Singh told reporters outside his residence. - PTI

BJP’s Vijender Gupta trailing by over 1,200 votes from Rohini constituency, AAP’s Rajesh Nama Bansiwala leading.

Assembly Speaker and AAP leader Ram Niwas Goel leading from Shahdara by 81 votes.

BJP leader Kapil Mishra leading from Model Town by 98 seats, AAP candidate Akhilesh Pati Tripathi trailing.

AAP’s Atishi trailing from Kalkaji seat, BJP’s Dharambir Singh ahead.

Digvijaya Singh raises doubts on EVMs

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday raised doubts on EVMs, alleging that no machine having a chip is tamper-proof. He called upon the Election Commission and the Supreme Court to take a fresh look at the use of EVMs in the country.

“No machine (which) has a chip is tamper proof. Also please do for a moment think, why no developed country uses EVM,” Singh said in a tweet. “Would CEC and Hon Supreme Court please have a fresh look on EVM voting in India? We are the largest democracy in the world, we can’t allow some unscrupulous people to hack results and steal the mandate of 1.3 billion people.

“If they match the votes in the counting unit. Declare the result. If they don’t match then count the ballots of all polling booths in the assembly. It would convince every one and save time also as this has been the consistent argument of CEC in favour of EVM,” the Congress leader said. - PTI

AAP, BJP leading in Delhi

Initial trends showed a clear lead for the ruling AAP in the Delhi Assembly but the BJP has improved its position as two rounds of counting is over.

The AAP is leading in 50 seats and the BJP in 20 seats after the first round and after the counting of postal ballots. It looks like that the Congress is not in a position to make a comeback to the Assembly.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and other senior ministers of the party are leading. BJP leaders Vijender Gupta and Tajinder Bagga were leading in Rohini and Hari Nagar constituencies. The BJP expressed confidence and said the final results will be in its favour. - Our Bureau

 

 

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal leading in New Delhi Assembly constituency against BJP's Sunil Yadav and Congress' Romesh Sabharwal.

Initial trends showed a clear lead for the ruling AAP in the Delhi Assembly. The AAP is leading in 54 seats and the BJP is leading in 15 seats after the first round and counting of postal ballots, while the Congress is leading in one seat.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and other senior ministers of the party are leading.  Kejriwal reached AAP headquarters at Deendayal Upadhyay Marg and started a discussion with senior leaders. Party leaders expressed confidence and said it would have a massive majority similar to 2015 results. - Our Bureau  

Early trends

Early trends show Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leading in 38 constituencies and BJP in 12.

Counting of votes begins

The counting began at 8 am and will be held in multiple rounds, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ranbir Singh said. “Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place. The exercise is being carried out as per the laid-down procedures of the Election Commission,” Singh said.

Tight security arrangements have been put in place at various centres across Delhi, he said.

“The postal ballots will be counted first till around 8.30 am and then the votes cast through electronic voting machines will be counted,” the senior official said. “The counting centres are spread across 21 locations, spanning the 70 constituencies. Each centre has several counting halls, equal to the number of constituencies falling in that district,” he said.

Each EVM consists of a ballot unit (BU), a controls units (CU) and a voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT.)

After counting of votes through CUs from every assembly constituency, five VVPATs will be randomly selected and they will be counted, the official said.

The counting centres are located across 11 districts, including at CWG Sports Complex in east Delhi, NSIT Dwarka in west Delhi, Meerabai Institute of Technology and G B Pant Institute of Technology in southeast Delhi, Sir CV Raman ITI, Dheerpur in central Delhi, and Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Bawana in north Delhi.

Nearly 24 hours after the polling ended in Delhi, the Election Commission on Sunday announced that the final voter turnout was 62.59 per cent, five per cent less than 2015, and asserted that it followed the laid down process to compile data, after the AAP questioned the “delay“. - PTI

Counting of votes begins for 70 seats in the the Delhi Assembly, the Election Commission announced. Postal ballots will be counted first. - PTI

Can the AAP expand its focus beyond Delhi to the rural areas?

We’re a predominantly rural nation and 830 million Indians — nearly 70 per cent of the population — live outside the towns and cities, the 2011 Census shows. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) — whether it wins or loses Delhi — could stake its claim as the first strongly urban-focussed party that looks to address the needs of India’s urban masses.

If the AAP’s a Delhi-centric urban party, can it spread its wings beyond the city?

 

Counting of votes for the Delhi Assembly elections will begin from 8 am. The national capital went to polls on February 8 and recorded a voter turnout of 62.59 per cent, according to Election Commission numbers.

 

The exit polls predicts return of ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to power and a third term for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Almost all exit polls said the AAP will get more than 50 seats, however, short of 2015’s 67 seats.

However, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari claims his party will win “48 seats” and form a government in the city. “All these exit polls will fail. Save my tweet carefully," he wrote on the micro-blogging site.

 

"BJP will win 48 seats and form government in Delhi...please do not search excuses to blame the EVM,” Tiwari tweeted in Hindi.