AAP on Wednesday ended BJP’s uninterrupted run in the national capital’s municipal corporation for 15 years bagging 134 out of 250 wards in the civic polls while relegating Congress to almost political oblivion that was restricted to single digit.
BJP won 104 seats in the first polls to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) after its merger in April this year, down from 181 out of 272 won in 2017 when the polls were held for three corporations. Congress won nine seats, down from 31 five years ago, while AAP has increased its seats from 49. Three independents also won this time.
AAP garnered 42.05 per cent of votes, down from 53.8 per cent it polled in 2020 Assembly elections, while BJP marginally improved its vote share from 38.7 per cent to 39.09 per cent. Congress saw an impressive jump in vote share from 4.3 per cent in 2020 to 11.65 per cent, with leaders saying a number of disgruntled AAP supporters voted for them, but it did not translate into wards.
The first hour of counting, when usually postal ballots are counted, showed a BJP surge prompting BJP General Secretary (Organisation) BL Santosh to make a dash to the party’s Delhi state office but as the day progressed, the saffron party fell behind in seat count and settled for the second place.
The results were a setback for the BJP though it performed better than what exit polls predicted. The exit polls had predicted less than 90 wards for BJP while giving more than 140 to AAP. The predictions for Congress, however, were almost correct as the exit polls gave wards in single digits and it proved correct at the last count.
It also upset the party’s calculations – the BJP believed that the merger of the three corporations would help it in the civic body polls but the results showed that the people believed in AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s model of governance.
“I thank Delhiites for the big victory, the big change in Delhi…I thank those who voted for us. I assure those who did not vote for us that we will do their work first…People used to say that one will not get votes by improving schools, hospitals etc. Now you have shown that schools and hospitals will get you votes,” Kejriwal told supporters at the party office.
There was a celebratory mood at the AAP office with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and party’s Rajya Sabha leader Sanjay Singh among others addressing supporters. When one supporter said “I love you, Kejriwal”, the Chief Minister responded, “I love you too” amid cheering of AAP workers.
Seeking the cooperation of the BJP and the Congress as well as the blessings of the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kejriwal said, "we all have to improve the condition of Delhi and I need cooperation of all, including the BJP and Congress. We need cooperation from all, especially the help and blessings of the Centre and the prime minister to do so."
Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta defended the results saying the party’s performance was better despite 15 years of anti-incumbency. “We worked for the people of Delhi at the municipal corporations but maybe some people were not happy. There was no anger against the BJP though,” he said.
BJP North-West Delhi MP and former Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari thanked the people of Delhi and party workers for showing faith by giving so many seats to the party for the fourth consecutive time. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said even after 15 years, the party retained its vote share on the basis of its work.