Synopsis
As the vote counting unfolds in New Delhi, early indications reveal substantial gains for the BJP and AAP, while the Congress party faces another potential wipeout, possibly marking its third consecutive loss in the Delhi Assembly elections.Key Takeaways
- Congress shows a lackluster performance.
- BJP and AAP gain significant voter percentages.
- Congress risks a third consecutive defeat.
- Party leaders campaigned vigorously.
- Vote share remains disappointingly low.
New Delhi, Feb 8 (NationPress) The counting of votes commenced for 70 Assembly constituencies in the national capital on Saturday morning. Preliminary trends indicate substantial gains for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a significant setback for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), and yet another devastation for the Congress party.
The contest in the capital appears to be mainly a fluctuating numbers game between the BJP and the AAP, but the lackluster performance by the Congress party highlights its dwindling fortunes in the Union Territory (UT), which it governed for a remarkable fifteen consecutive years under the leadership of former Chief Minister, the late Sheila Dikshit.
Initial trends revealed the Congress party securing a lead in just one seat, specifically the Badli constituency, but this advantage diminished after a few rounds of counting. Current trends suggest the party is heading towards a total wipeout.
If the historic party ends up with no seats, it would signify its third consecutive defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections. This would constitute a hat-trick of the party failing to secure any seats for three consecutive terms.
Such a disappointing performance comes despite the active campaigning by its senior leaders, including Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi, who held numerous rallies prior to the elections.
The Congress party's vote share has also been quite underwhelming over the years.
After the initial rounds of counting on Saturday, both the BJP and AAP have surpassed 40 percent in voter percentage, while the historic party is languishing in single digits, around 6 percent, showing a slight improvement from the 2020 figures of 5.44 percent.
The last time the Congress secured seats in the capital was in the 2013 elections when it won 8 seats. This was also the year when the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP made its electoral debut.
In the 2015 Assembly elections, the AAP triumphed with 67 seats (with a 54.3 percent vote share), the BJP won 3 seats (with a 32 percent vote share), and the Congress failed to secure any seats (with a meager 9 percent vote share).
In the 2020 Assembly elections, the Congress's defeat continued, ending with 0 seats and a vote share below 5 percent. Once again, the AAP dominated the elections, winning 62 out of 70 seats, while the BJP secured the remaining 8 seats.
