Synopsis
In a shocking electoral outcome, AAP's Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia lost their respective seats, marking a significant defeat for the party in Delhi, amid strong anti-incumbency sentiments.Key Takeaways
- Kejriwal and Sisodia lost in New Delhi and Jangpura.
- Parvesh Verma defeats Kejriwal.
- Strong performance by BJP with over 45 seats.
- Sisodia trails by 572 votes at Jangpura.
- Celebrations at BJP amidst AAP's gloom.
New Delhi, Feb 8 (NationPress) In a surprising turn of events, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia faced defeat in the New Delhi and Jangpura Assembly constituencies, marking a significant setback for the ruling party in the capital. Manish Sisodia extended his congratulations to BJP's Tarvinder Singh Marwah after conceding defeat, trailing by 572 votes in the final count.
Parvesh Verma from BJP, who triumphed over Kejriwal, had a victory margin nearly matching the almost 3,000 votes received by Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit.
The BJP refrained from announcing its Chief Ministerial candidate despite winning over 45 seats in the 70-member Assembly, surpassing the majority mark of 36.
Manish Sisodia, known as the architect of AAP’s educational reforms, had transitioned to contest from Jangpura after previously winning from Patparganj in the 2020 elections.
As the Election Commission indicated a BJP majority during the Assembly elections, dismay spread across the AAP's headquarters, while jubilant celebrations erupted at the BJP office.
Other AAP members, including Satyendar Jain and Saurabh Bharadwaj, also trailed behind in their respective contests.
Earlier, Chief Minister Atishi expressed optimism about AAP's return, framing the election as a struggle between good and evil. Bharadwaj had predicted that AAP would secure at least 40-45 seats.
In response to the trends, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari stated: "The blessings of the people of Delhi are evident. We are assured that our seat count will remain steady until the conclusion."
The AAP, emerging from Anna Hazare's 2011 anti-corruption movement, faced its fourth consecutive loss after successfully winning three previous Delhi Assembly elections.
The party's latest attempt to reclaim the 'Dilli Darbar' was thwarted due to strong anti-incumbency sentiments, subpar performance by MLAs, and the party leader's increasing reliance on defectors from rival parties.
