The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has surpassed the majority mark in the Delhi Assembly elections, according to early trends from the Election Commission. BJP is leading in 38 seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is ahead in 27 constituencies. The majority mark required to form a government in the 70-member assembly is 36 seats.
In the New Delhi constituency, AAP Chief Arvind Kejriwal is maintaining a lead with a margin of 254 votes. However, several key AAP leaders are trailing in their respective seats.
Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj is behind BJP’s Shikha Roy in the Greater Kailash seat by 459 votes, while Chief Minister Atishi is trailing BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri in Kalkaji by 1,149 votes. AAP’s Amanatullah Khan, a strong contender in Okhla, is also behind BJP by 2,260 votes.
On the other hand, some AAP leaders are performing well in other constituencies. Delhi Minister Gopal Rai is leading from Babarpur with a significant margin of 5,602 votes, and Imran Hussain is ahead in Ballimaran by 1,824 votes. AAP’s Satyendra Jain, however, is trailing BJP’s Karnail Singh by 2,956 votes in Shakur Basti.
In a surprising development, former AAP leader Kailash Gahlot, who recently joined the BJP, is leading by 2,217 votes from Bijwasan.
The counting process is also underway for by-elections in Uttar Pradesh’s Milkipur seat and Tamil Nadu’s Erode seat. Security arrangements have been set in place across the counting centers, ensuring a smooth process.
Voter turnout for the Delhi election was recorded at 60.54% on February 5.
As the AAP aims for a third consecutive term, the BJP is determined to return to power after more than two decades in Delhi. Exit polls released earlier this week indicated a slight edge for BJP, though AAP leaders expressed confidence, noting that exit polls have often underestimated their party’s performance.
BJP’s campaign, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, focused on issues such as the alleged pollution in the Yamuna River and the renovation of Kejriwal’s residence. The Prime Minister also used terms like “Aapda” and “Sheesh Mahal” to criticize the Delhi government.
Meanwhile, the AAP highlighted its achievements in the education sector during its 11-year tenure and warned that BJP would halt the provision of free education if it came to power.
Congress MP and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also campaigned in Delhi, targeting Kejriwal and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia over their alleged involvement in the Delhi excise policy “scam.”
Among the key constituencies, New Delhi, where Kejriwal is contesting against Congress’s Sandeep Dikshit and BJP’s Parvesh Verma, remains closely watched as the results continue to unfold.
