- Friday, April 26, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
In a major setback to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of prime minister Narendra Modi, India’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) bagged the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) election, ending 15 years of rule of the saffron party.
The results were out after more than five hours of counting. The high-stake election was held on Sunday (4).
The AAP led by Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal either won or was leading in 133 wards in the 25-ward MCD at the time of writing this report. The BJP either won or was leading in 105 seats. The majority mark is 126.
Kejriwal took to Twitter where he thanked the people of Delhi and vowed to put up a joint effort to make the city cleaner and beautiful.
इस शानदार जीत के लिए दिल्ली की जनता का शुक्रिया और सबको बहुत-बहुत बधाई। अब हम सबको मिलकर दिल्ली को साफ़-स्वच्छ और सुंदर बनाना है। https://t.co/SFkqmrAI6i
— Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) December 7, 2022
“Asli Jhaadu ab chalega (the real broom will sweep now),” said Punjab chief minister and AAP leader Bhagwant Mann as his party looked to topple the BJP from power. The broom is the AAP’s election symbol.
Other prominent AAP leaders, including Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Raghav Chadha rushed to Kejriwal’s residence as the results started pouring in.
Initial trends put the BJP ahead after the counting started around 8 am local time but soon the AAP gained control.
AAP workers and supporters gathered in front of the party office in the capital and celebrated and praised Kejriwal, one of India’s major anti-Modi faces.
“The BJP has got the answer today that the people of Delhi vote for those who work, and not for the ones who defame. The BJP fielded its MPs, Ministers, CBI and ED, but the people of Delhi still voted for the AAP. The people have given a befitting reply to the BJP for the allegations that it levelled against Kejriwal. We will make Delhi the most beautiful city in the world,” Chadha said, according to Asian News International.
The high-decibel battle which was fought in the election campaign ahead of the poll witnessed claims and counter-claims by both the AAP and BJP of winning the elections.
Both parties will now look forward to the results of the elections held in Gujarat on Thursday (8). The results of the elections held in Himachal Pradesh will also be announced on the same day.
