NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was giving a crushing defeat in the crucial Delhi state elections amid ongoing protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act and divisive policies.
The ruling Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has made a clean sweep in the Delhi Assembly polls 2020, winning 62 seats in the 70-member House.
The Bharatiya Janata Party came in second with eight seats and the Congress suffered a crushing defeat with 63 of its candidates losing their security deposit. The vote share of the Congress party slipped to an all-time low of 4.27 percent after it failed to win even a single seat.
The counting of votes for the February 8 polls was held on Tuesday at 21 centres across the city. The final voter turnout figure in the polls was 62.59 percent. There are 58 general seats and 12 reserved seats in the Indian national capital’s 70-seat assembly.
Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal retained his New Delhi seat. His deputy Manish Sisodia also won again from the Patparganj seat after a tough battle.
Several political leaders from across the country including Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Kejriwal, who had in the run-up to the polls attempted to reposition himself as focusing on the welfare of the people rather than a person always at loggerheads with the authorities.
Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party had made an effort through the poll campaign not to react to the BJP’s attacks, reminding people about the circumstances under which he joined politics and the work that his government had done for the national capital.
Kejriwal’s victory speech reflected the crucial aspects of his campaign pitch that sought to strike a chord with different segments and all communities.
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