BJP sweeps Delhi polls with highest-ever victory margin

New Delhi: Saddled on the Modi wave, the Bharatiya Janata Party swept Delhi’s civic polls on Wednesday, bagging an unprecedented 184 of the 270 municipal wards. With AAP managing to win just 48 seats, and Congress trailing at the third position with 30 seats, the BJP’s victory margin is the highest ever in MCD polls. “It’s a vote against negative politics,” BJP chief Amit Shah said.

A quixotic Arvind Kejriwal, unable to handle the electoral rout, continued to wage his battle against the windmills — the EVM machines.  

As for the Congress, the worse perhaps is yet not over. After Congress finished a poor third, with its MCD berths dropping from 74 to a meagre 30 wards, the party’s Delhi chief Ajay Maken, and AICC in-charge of Delhi, P.C. Chako, offered to step down, taking responsibility for the MCD debacle. 

Resignations also came from AAP leaders, with its Delhi unit convenor, Dilip Pandey, and party functionary, Alka Lamba offering to quit over the drubbing. 

Winning MCD polls was crucial for the BJP after its total rout in the 2015 Delhi Assembly elections. The victory is being viewed as the BJP’s return to the national capital. 

The results are a clear indication that the BJP managed to re-establish its connect with Poorvanchalis, the middle class and a considerable section of voters in the jhuggi-jhopdi clusters. 

Modi wave is there, admits Sheila
The victory not only reiterated “Modi magic”, but is a major boost for the party in the forthcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan and Gujarat. 

Former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit was the only Opposition leader to admit on a television channel, “Yes, there is a BJP wave.” She also said, “It’s the people’s mandate, accept it gracefully.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Grateful to the people of Delhi for the faith in BJP. I laud the hardwork of team @BJP4Delhi which made the resounding MCD win possible.” 

As TV headlines screamed — “Modi demolishes Kejri’wal”, the AAP bandwagon continued to vent their wrath on the EVM machines.