BJP and AAP want to sit in Opposition, so what next?

New Delhi: With the BJP now sensing that it may not be able to cross the half way mark, there is intense speculations on what would happen. Both the BJP and the AAP have said they would prefer to sit in opposition since there is no clear mandate. Here are the possible political patterns:

The Lt. Governor invites the largest single party, BJP in this case, to form a government. If the BJP accepts the invite, it will be given a week to fortnight to prove that it enjoys the majority on the floor of the Assembly.

The BJP could use this time to split the Congress which seems to be winning just 8 seats. Splitting the Congress would be easy. If more than four Congress MLAs agree to split the party, the disqualification provisions of the Representation of People’s Act will not come into play. The BJP can then form a government, but earn a bad name.

If the BJP is not able to split the Congress, it may have to give up its efforts to form a government. If the party tells the Lt Governor that it is not able to form a government or gets defeated on the floor of the House, the Lt Governor would invite the next largest party – the Aam Admi Party – to form a government.

The AAP may not try to form a government considering the ideological stand it has taken – that it will not form a government unless it has a clear mandate.

Also read - AAP makes stunning debut in Delhi

But if the AAP comes near the 35 mark, the Congress may extend support. But the AAP may not take the support because the party has gone on record that it will neither accept nor give support to the Congress or the BJP.

If the deadlock continues, the Lt Governor can recommend a brief spell of Central Rule not beyond six months. Even within six months, if there are no signs of a stable government formation, Delhi may go in for another election, probably along with the general elections to the Lok Sabha.

Some exit poll predictions that the AAP would sweep have not come true. The AAP seems to have cut into the vote banks of the Congress and the BJP. But the anti-incumbency votes seem to have gone to the BJP.

Next: Highlights of Delhi Assembly polls

Highlights of Delhi Assembly polls

8:15 PM

We will form government if we get support in natural process. Otherwise would like to sit in Opposition: Gadkari on Delhi poll result.

5: 50 PM

(AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal addressing the media in Delhi. Credit: ANI photo via Twitter)

Claiming it as a historic win, Kejriwal reiterated his stand that the AAP will not support any other political party in Delhi. Read more.

Arun Jaitley: People wanted to experiment with the new party. How long this type of politics last, lets see.

In Delhi we have emerged as the largest party almost with a hand-shaking distance from a clear majority: Arun Jaitley

Anti-incumbency ka faida agar kisiko hua hai toh woh AAP ko hua hai (if some party has gained from the anti-incumbency wave, it's AAP): Rajnath Singh, BJP President

Delhi to have youngest Assembly with average age of around 43. Read more.

SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav dissolves party's Delhi unit after it failed to secure seats in Delhi elections. Read more

Also read - Emergence of AAP a warning to major parties: Congress, BJP

4.45 PM

We accept the verdict, it calls for deep introspection: Sonia

Accepting the 'verdict of people in all humility', Congress chief Sonia Gandhi congratulated party's opponents for winning the elections.

Addressing the media in Delhi, she added, "We are disappointed with the verdict, it calls for deep introspection."

Citing price rise as a factor that played a role in the elections, Sonia also stressed that the general elections of 2014 will be different.

While answering questions related to the Congress party's PM candidate, Sonia Gandhi said it will be announced in due time. Read more.

Rahul Gandhi, who was also present, added that the party can transform itself. "AAP got common people involved, we are going to learn from that," the Congress Vice President added.

Read more - Rahul promises radical changes in Congress

ANI photo via Twitter

Read here: Kejriwal, the giant killer who swept Dikshit out of power

4.20 PM: 

Aam Aadmi Party's Somnath Bharti defeat Congress's Kiran Walia and BJP's Arti Mehra from Malviya Nagar

Omar Abdullah signs out of Twitter with this post: I'm gonna sign off for the day now. If any of my tweets offended anyone remember my phone was stolen & the thief tweeted to embarrass me ;) (sic)

Do read: Modi effect obvious on BJP cadre, says Omar

4.00 PM:

Kapil Sibal tweets: Congratulations to all the winners in Delhi, MP, Chhatisgarh, and Rajasthan. For the rest, time to introspect.

3.00 PM:

What next in Delhi?

With the BJP now sensing that it may not be able to cross the half way mark, there is intense speculations on what would happen. Here are the possible political patterns:

The Lt. Governor invites the largest single party, BJP in this case, to form a government. If the BJP accepts the invite, it will be given a week to fortnight to prove that it enjoys the majority on the floor of the Assembly.

Also read - Crorepati Club: Delhi tops chart with atleast 52 MLAs

The BJP could use this time to split the Congress which seems to be winning just 8 seats. Splitting the Congress would be easy. If more than four Congress MLAs agree to split the party, the disqualification provisions of the Representation of People’s Act will not come into play. The BJP can then form a government, but earn a bad name.

Do read : AAP's surge akin to debut of AGP, TDP

If the BJP is not able to split the Congress, it may have to give up its efforts to form a government. If the party tells the Lt Governor that it is not able to form a government or gets defeated on the floor of the House, the Lt Governor would invite the next largest party – the Aam Admi Party – to form a government.

The AAP may not try to form a government considering the ideological stand it has taken – that it will not form a government unless it has a clear mandate.

But if the AAP comes near the 35 mark, the Congress may extend support. But the AAP may not take the support because the party has gone on record that it will neither accept nor give support to the Congress or the BJP.

If the deadlock continues, the Lt Governor can recommend a brief spell of Central Rule not beyond six months. Even within six months, if there are no signs of a stable government formation, Delhi may go in for another election, probably along with the general elections to the Lok Sabha.

The debutant Aam Admi Party has put up a spectacular fight leading in 27 seats. The Congress is facing a rout leading in just 8 seats. Chief Minister Shiela Dixit has lost her seat to Arvind Kejriwal – a major psychological blow for the Congress.

Some exit poll predictions that the AAP would sweep have not come true. The AAP seems to have cut into the vote banks of the Congress and the BJP. But the anti-incumbency votes seem to have gone to the BJP.

A jubilant and confident Dr Harsh Vardhan of the BJP said the mandate was swinging in his party’s favour.  He said his priority would be providing basic amenities and making Delhi safe for women.

2.54 PM

AAP's rise, a matter of concern for both BJP, Cong: Rudy

BJP said the rise of Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi is a matter of concern for it as much as for Congress and maintained it could have won clear majority had it not been a three-cornered fight.

BJP General Secretary Rajiv Pratap Rudy said his party could have done even better if it had taken certain timely steps.

"In Delhi, space has been given to a local outfit - Aam Aadmi Party. There could be other reasons. BJP failed to position a chief ministerial candidate at the right time. The national channels also projected that national parties are unable to deliver. But BJP should be able to form government," he said.

2.40 PM:

Debutant AAP's Arvind Kejriwal defeats three-time Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in New Delhi constituency. Kejriwal defeated the incumbent CM by a margin of 25,000 votes. For detailed report, click here.

This is not my victory. It is victory of people of New Delhi constituency and victory of democracy: Kejriwal

2. 35 PM

BJP's CM candidate Harsh Vardhan wins from Krishna Nagar constituency defeating his Congress rival V K Monga by over 43,150 votes

Vardhan thanks Aam Aadmi Party for 'performing well against expectations', thanks Sheila Dikshit for serving Delhi for 15 years in a row

2.30 PM

Assembly polls not a Rahul Gandhi vs Narendra Modi contest: Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi

Outcome of Delhi Assembly polls surprising, agitations on various issues helped AAP, BJP: Cong leader Shakeel Ahmed

No question of supporting Aam Admi Party, says Shakeel Ahmed

1.15 PM

Mani Shankar Aiyar thanks Arvind Kejriwal for stopping the BJP in Delhi

1.00 PM

AAP's Shazia Ilmi loses in RK Puram by 327 votes

Manish Sisodia wins in Patparganj

AAP supporters on a high

Waving brooms - AAP's election symbol- and placards, jubilant supporters of the party on Sunday converged outside its office in large numbers after its impressive performance in the Delhi Assembly election.

The activists chanted 'Vande Matram' and danced to the beating of drums outside the premises while police beefed up security.

AAP senior leader Kumar Vishwas told supporters, who were awaiting the final results, that the party has answered Sheila Dixit and all others who had raised doubts about it. Supporters were also seen applying colour on each other as celebrations started soon after the trends showed that the party was leading in over 20 seats. 

12.36 PM

In a first result, AAP's Veena Anand wins Patel Nagar constituency by over 6,000 votes defeating BSP's Poornima Vidyarthi

We wll definitely learn from mistakes; anti-incumbency was problem in Delhi...potato, tomato, onion was also an issue: Rajiv Shukla

We all want Rahul Gandhi to be projected as the PM candidate but it is up to him and Sonia Gandhi: Shukla

12.30 PM

Joining Sheila Dikshit, Union Minister jayanthi Natarajan too said: Don't blame Rahul for Congress reverses. Read here

11.50 PM

Dikshit stunned as party failed to read Delhi's mood

"Bewakoof hain na (we are idiots, right?)", retorted Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit on Sunday when asked if her party failed to read the mood of the city which it had ruled for 15 years. 

Dikshit, who resigned from the Chief Minister's post after Congress' drubbing, said her party will analyse what went wrong in the election. "We accept our defeat and we will analyse what went wrong," she told reporters at her residence during a brief appearance after sending her resignation to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung. 

"We respect what the people of Delhi have decided and thank them for supporting us for last 15 years," she said. 

Don't blame Rahul Gandhi for Congress' defeat in Delhi: Sheila Dikshit

11.30 AM

Happy with AAP performance, Kejriwal will become CM one day: Anna Hazare Detailed report here

Arvind Kejriwal and AAP have walked the talk on clean politics, tasted success as a result: Kiran Mazumdar Shaw

11.15 AM:

BJP to set up task force to address issues facing Delhi, says Harsh Vardhan

With results indicating big gains for BJP in Delhi polls, its chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan on Sunday said his priority would be to set up a task force within a fortnight of government formation to address issues of urgent importance and strengthen security of women. He said the assembly results were against the 'misdeeds' of the Congress which ruled the state for 15 years but failed to solve the problems confronting people.

Vardhan felt the AAP had eaten more into Congress votes than those of BJP's. Vardhan, whose party appears heading to form the next government, said, "I am going to instruct the administration to make an action plan in the next 7 to 15 days and ensure that we start working on all the fronts simultaneously".

He said safety of women would be his government's focus with enhanced patrolling, setting up of a women task force and removing the dark spots from the city.

"We have to remove the dark spots from the city because I had studied (police patrolling) all over the world...in New York and London, where they could remove the dark spots from the city, they were able to reduce crime against women by something like 40 per cent", he said.

He also harped on according full statehood status to Delhi, hoping that this would become a reality if Narendra Modi forms the next government at the Centre. Vardhan said the results were a clear indication that Congress has been decimated in the elections.

"They (Congress) got long 15 years but were not been able to solve the problem of the city. They are known for their corruption, scams, huge inflation that they have given to us and making our lives miserable," he said.

To a question, he said, "We have no infighting (within the party). Asked if early release of candidates list could have helped the party, he said, "We have to analyse that in detail".

9.48 AM

BJP smells power in Delhi

New Delhi: With the BJP leading in 31 Assembly segments, the party has started smelling power in the Capital.

The debutant Aam Admi Party has put up a spectacular fight leading in 24 seats. The Congress is facing a rout leading in just 9 seats.

If the trends hold on, Delhi will see a change of government. The BJP needs just 4 seats to storm to power in an elections that was bitterly fought.

Exit poll predictions that the AAP would sweep have not come true. The AAP seems to have cut into the vote banks of the Congress and the BJP. But the anti-incumbency votes seem to have gone to the BJP.

A jubilant and confident Dr Harsh Vardhan of the BJP said the mandate was swinging in his party’s favour.  He said his priority would be providing basic amenities and making Delhi safe for women.

9.25 AM

A hung Assembly ahead

With the Aam Admi Party putting up a spectacular fight, Delhi is heading for a hung Assembly. Though the BJP is leading in as many as 28 seats, the AAP is close behind with 20 seats. The Congress is facing a rout leading in just 9 seats.

If the trends hold on, Delhi will see a change of government. But the big worry is who will form the government. The AAP has already indicated that it will not support either the BJP or the Congress.

Exit poll predictions that the AAP would sweep have not come true. The AAP seems to have cut into the vote banks of the Congress and the BJP. But the anti-incumbency votes seem to have gone to the BJP.

A jubilant and confident Dr Harsh Vardhan of the BJP said the mandate was swinging in his party’s favour. 

9.10 AM:

BJP hopes to form a government

Despite the onslaught by the Aam Admi Party, the BJP is hoping to form the next government in Delhi as early leads showed a mandate in its favour.

But the BJP and the AAP are tied neck and neck with the Congress facing a rout.

Exit poll predictions that the AAP would sweep have not come true. The AAP seems to have cut into the vote banks of the Congress and the BJP. But the anti-incumbency votes seem to have gone to the BJP.

A jubilant and confident Dr Harsh Vardhan of the BJP said the mandate was swinging in his party’s favour. 

9.00 AM

Cong pushed to 3rd spot by AAP

Huge turnout at AAP headquarters, celebrations begin