New Delhi: An unknown entity led by an idealistic anti-corruption crusader fighting two well-entrenched national parties in the national capital has delivered one of the biggest stories in the electoral history of India. Facing massive odds and tapping the common man's anger over price rice, corruption, poor governance, deteriorating law and order and general apathy of the traditional political class towards the day to day sufferings, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swept away the Congress and gave the Bharatiya Janata Party a run for its money to emerge a close second in Delhi Assembly elections.
While BJP took the pole position as the national capital delivered a massive verdict against the 15-year rule of Sheila Dikshit, who even lost her New Delhi seat to AAP National Convener Kejriwal by over 25,000 votes. The BJP is just short of the half-way mark in the 70-member Delhi Assembly with the AAP snapping at its heels with 28 as its broom showed India that the hegemony of the two big parties can be successfully challenged.
The BJP High Command may mull its options to form the government in Delhi. When asked whether the BJP is desperate to form the government in Delhi and will go with a minority government, party spokesperson Meenakshi Lekhi said the party high command will discuss all options. Delhi BJP in-charge Nitin Gadkari said the party will sit in Opposition in Delhi Assembly if it does not get majority. He said, "We will form government if we get support in natural process. Otherwise would like to sit in Opposition."
The AAP has made it clear it will sit in the Opposition and play a constructive role.
The BJP has won 32 seats and needs another four to form the government in Delhi. The AAP has 28 and Congress 8, while two seats have been won by an independent and a JDU candidate. The Congress is unlikely to split while the JDU candidate, being a Muslim, is unlikely to support the BJP.
The party's best hope is to get the independent candidate Rambir Shokeen on board and reach 33 seats. In such a scenario, the BJP has an option of going to the Lieutenant Governor, forming a minority government and seeking a trust vote. If the BJP loses the trust vote, Delhi will witness President's rule.
The Congress which lorded over Delhi for 15 years during which several world-class infrastructure projects changed the face of the city was left licking its wounds as it saw its seat share shrink to just single figures. All its major leaders and ministers were routed with only one of its top leaders - Arvinder Singh Lovely managing to retain his seat.
Accepting defeat, Dikshit sent her resignation to the Lieutenant Governor. "I accept this defeat with due respect," a crestfallen Dikshit said.
Dr Harsh Vardhan, the BJP leader who is set to be the Chief Minister of Delhi, credited party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi adding that he is indeed a popular face. "I was a symbol of the party in Delhi. I did not decide on the campaign strategy, it was the party's decision. I did not interfere in the campaign. You should accept that Narendra Modi is the most popular leader not just in BJP but across the nation, he is the next PM," Harsh Vardhan said.
There were celebrations outside the BJP offices across the city even as the question now remains as to how the party will form a government after failing to secure a majority.
The AAP volunteers cheered loudly and celebrated with gusto as they savoured the spectacularly good show by the party, which had fielded greenhorns in almost all the seats.
The polling data shows that the AAP has done remarkably well in the traditional Congress strongholds. It has eaten into the Congress votes in a big way and had routed the party in West, North-West, Outer Delhi and East Delhi.
The stunning show catapults Kejriwal into national limelight and he has emerged as the real winner in this election. It is true that the AAP has failed to come to power in Delhi but it has decimated the Congress and occupied the opposition benches in the Delhi Assembly. After as long time, Delhi is going to have a very strong opposition party in the Assembly.
The Congress, conceding defeat, admitted that the onion and vegetable prices hit it hard in Delhi. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "I am conceding defeat, it is a bad defeat. In Delhi, onions and vegetables have let us down."
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister in fact took a dig at Rahul Gandhi's low-attendance rally in Delhi. "Notes to self for #2014 big public meetings don't always mean votes but poorly attended ones definitely indicate big trouble (sic)," he tweeted even as Congress leader Rajiv Shukla said Rahul is not to be blamed for the defeat in Delhi.
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