In an unprecedented showing, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has stormed to power in Delhi assembly election by winning 67 out of 70 seats on Tuesday, thereby decimating BJP and completely obliterating Congress. It is a feat achieved only once in Sikkim and Bihar earlier. The fledgling party did better than even exit polls, which had predicted an AAP victory. But the actual results have been more than anybody's imagination.
Kejriwal, the former Revenue Service officer, won with a huge margin in the New Delhi constituency where the BJP fielded Nupur Sharma, a novice, who came second and veteran Congress leader Kiran Walia way behind at the third spot. BJP's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi lost in the traditional party stronghold of Krishna Nagar which was long held by party veteran Harsh Vardhan.
In an election that was billed as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi but rejected by BJP as such, the AAP wave spearheaded by Kejriwal knocked the two major parties and their veterans from their citadels. In the 2014 May Lok Sabha election, the BJP had won all the seven seats leaving nothing for AAP. This time it is a reversal of the result.
In all elections that followed the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP formed governments in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and emerged the second largest party in Jammu and Kashmir with the highest vote share. Congress, which ruled the national capital for 15 years till December 2013, has been reduced to zero. Congress stalwart and chief ministerial candidate Ajay Maken was pushed to the third spot in Sadar Bazar where AAP candidate was on top and BJP at number two spot. Following the debacle, Maken resigned as Congress general secretary taking responsibility.
The AAP's hurricane march could be gauged from the fact that it polled 54 per cent of the popular votes while BJP got 32.4 per cent and the Congress 9.4 per cent. In the last elections, the BJP had emerged as the largest party with 31 seats, the AAP 28 and the Congress 8. Kejriwal formed a government with Congress support and resigned after 49 days in February 2014 over the Lokpal issue.
Kejriwal will take oath as chief minister on Saturday, February 14, at the Ramlila Grounds, the platform that launched him during the days of India Against Corruption, exactly one year after he stepped down. The scale of AAP's victory was reminiscent of the victories recorded by the Sikkim Sangram Party (SSP) which won all the 32 seats in the assembly while the JD (U)-BJP alliance won 206 of the 243 seats in 2010. In the 1991 assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, the AIADMK-Congress alliance won 225 of the 234 seats while in subsequent elections the DMK-Congress alliance won 221 of 234 seats.
Modi congratulates Kejriwal
Modi called Kejriwal over phone to congratulate him on the victory. He assured Kejriwal of Centre's complete support in the development of Delhi. Bedi also congratulated Kejriwal saying "full marks to Arvind." In his address to his supporters, Kejriwal saluted the people of Delhi for doing a "wonder" by giving them a landslide victory and asked party workers not to get carried away by the mandate. "You have done a wonder. When you are on the path of truth, all the forces of universe come together to help you. I salute the people of Delhi. It's a victory of truth," he said. Kejriwal also thanked Modi for his greetings and said he would like to meet him soon to discuss issues related to Delhi. He told the Prime Minister that he will need the Centre's help.
Expressing happiness over the party's performance, AAP leader Yogendra Yadav said, "it was not just under class, but the middle class also voted for AAP.” Hailing AAP's performance, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Baneerjee called the election result a turning point in the country's political situation.
Veterans humiliated
The Aam Aadmi Party sweep clean bowled several senior members of Congress and BJP. The biggest upset was probably that of Kiran Bedi from the Krishna Nagar seat. In fact, the seat was considered the safest bet for the new politician who joined BJP on January 15 this year. Other BJP top brass that lost out in the AAP sweep were Jagdish Mukhi from Janakpuri who contested against his son in-law. The seat was won by Rajesh Rishi from AAP. Vikram Biduri from Tughlakabad and Rambir Singh Biduri from Badarpur were the other major losers, the latter from a seat which he has reportedly never lost till today.
In the Congress camp, which dropped to zero this election, most of those who were routed were politicians who have never lost assembly elections. These included Chaudhary Mateen Ahmed from Seelampur, Prahlad Singh Sawhney from Chandi Chowk, Haroon Yusuf from Ballimaran and Shoaib Iqbal from Okhla. All these seats were won by AAP.
BJP's vote share almost intact
The BJP might have been decimated in terms of seats in Delhi, but its vote share has remained almost intact. On the other hand, the Congress has been completely obliterated seat-wise and shrunk considerably by vote share. In 2013 Delhi elections, the BJP had won 31 out of 68 contested seats. It's vote share was 33.07% with 26,04100 votes. The 2015 elections in Delhi has left the BJP vote share almost as it is. According to the latest Election Commission data, the BJP's vote share has reduced by about just one per cent, bringing it down to 32.1% (2779,810 votes).
The Congress had won 8 out of 70 contested seats and received a vote share of 24.55% (1932,933 votes) in 2013 Delhi elections. But in 2015, its political existence and scenario has completely changed. The Congress has got only 9.8% vote share. That is almost a loss of 15% vote share.
AAP had rejected Bukhari’s offer of support
Earlier, AAP had rejected former Jama Masjid Shahi Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari’s offer of support. “AAP wants to make it clear that our party has nothing to do with Syed Ahmed Bukhari. AAP was formed to eradicate communal politics, only Imam Bukhari would know why he made such a statement,” said party leader Ashutosh. Another AAP leader Sanjay Singh recalled that Bukhari had invited Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, and not Prime Minister Narendra Modi, for his son’s anointment as the shahi imam of Jama Majid in November last year.
AAP got support from the All India Imam Association (AIIA), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat. A total of 673 candidates were in the fray for the 70-member Delhi Assembly election.
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