The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) romped home on Saturday, wresting the national capital from the AAP's control, decisively defeating the party that had governed Delhi since 2013.
The resounding victory of BJP and the ignominious defeat for AAP have more meanings than one – first, it marks the end of AAP's era, and so also a governance model that reverberated across the nation and saw its political footprints expanding beyond the capital.
Secondly, vividly reflects the public mood, wherein freebies and sops alone aren't enough to help win elections. Thirdly and most importantly, the landslide victory of BJP has marked the growing clout of the party in the Hindi heartland.
As BJP won Delhi, it marks the culmination of BJP's domination in the region including the national capital. BJP is already in power in the states surrounding the capital, namely Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Rajasthan.
BJP had been in successive three terms at power in Haryana and in successive two consecutive terms in UP, while also taking power in Rajasthan from the Congress in 2023 Elections. In the year 2023, BJP and Congress gave each other tough time in an all-out turfbattle within Haryana before the former found their way as they won on many seats.
Just a year later, Delhi saw a high-stakes battle with all three AAP, Congress, and BJP putting their foot down but it was the latter which outwitted all and stormed to power, after almost three decades. Interestingly, 48 out of 70 seats where BJP has either won or is ahead, include the border constituencies lining up with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
The city's border constituencies, particularly with Haryana refused to buy AAP's theory of water contamination and water terrorism charge by the adjoining BJP government and voted against its poll rhetoric.
Days ahead of polling, Delhi CM Atishi and AAP office bearers made a scathing attack on the Haryana government, accusing it of "poisoning" the Yamuna river with an intention to "kill" Delhiites. Kejriwal also made a similar pitch, hoping to build resentment among the public against BJP. But, this failed to cut ice and AAP faced the people's ire even in border districts for keeping "theatrics over governance".
The AAP government's repeated accusations of the Centre and failure to address the stubble-burning issue in its party ruled Punjab did not go well. Kejriwal's repeated charge of stalling projects by Delhi L-G was seen as a "diversionary tactic" and people rather believed that the double-engine government would be key to Delhi's problems.
Kejriwal's emotional appeal to the people after coming out of the jail that he would again join the CM office only if people's court would elect him was also not seen to move voters. This bluff too didn't pay off.
People saw all these as a game to play a guilt-free card and proceeded to punish the party that has won more than three-fourth majority twice-first in 2015 and then in 2020. Since 2014, the BJP has enjoyed a sort of hegemony in North India.
However, winning Delhi remained out of its reach despite popularity. It was handed over a crushing defeat in both the 2015 and 2020 Assembly elections at the hands of Kejriwal-led AAP. However, this time, BJP marching to victory with a thumping majority marks an end to its long and anxious wait to be in power in the national capital.
People of Delhi have chosen those who brought Ram: BJP's Navneet Rana after poll victory BJP leader Navneet Rana celebrated her party's decisive victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, attributing the win to the people's choice of leaders who uphold traditional values. Speaking on the results, she stated, "The people of Delhi have chosen those who brought Ram."
Rana offered heartfelt congratulations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the people of Delhi for the remarkable success in the Delhi Assembly polls.
"I congratulate everyone from the bottom of my heart for the Maha Kumbh and the miracle it has shown in Delhi this time," she said.
"The people of Delhi have rejected Rahul Gandhi, who does not believe in Sanatan Dharam," she claimed.
"They have rejected Kejriwal, who is known for his politics of lies. The voters have shown them their place," she remarked. Reiterating Sanatan values, Rana said, "This result shows that the people want a leader who believes in Sanatan ideas, who supports Maha Kumbh, and who will take India's values forward like true Indians. The one who has brought Ram, we will stand with him."
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi thanked the people of Delhi and appreciated the BJP workers who contributed to the party's victory.
On social media, he posted, "I am proud of every BJP karyakarta who worked tirelessly, leading to this outstanding result. We will serve the people of Delhi even more vigorously." PM Modi underlined the power of the people's mandate and the triumph of development and good governance.
"Jana Shakti is paramount! Development wins, good governance triumphs. I bow to the people of Delhi for this historic mandate," he wrote, pledging continued efforts to transform the national Capital. In terms of election results, BJP is well poised to get an absolute majority in Delhi, ahead on 48 seats compared to AAP's 22. Although the vote share gap between the two parties has narrowed, with BJP holding 44.76 per cent and AAP 43.77 per cent, it seems the BJP will retain control of the national Capital.
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