Arvind Kejriwal is set to return for a third term as Delhi's Chief Minister, with the Aam Aadmi Party sweeping the Assembly polls. As of 4.05 pm, the party was leading in 56 seats and have declared as the winners in 6, out of a total strength of 70.
Trends show that the BJP may increase their tally by 4 seats. In 2015, they had won 3 seats, and are leading in 6 seats, and have been declared winners in one seat. The Congress is not winning any seats this time either.
In 2015, the AAP had routed other parties and bagged 67 seats while the BJP was reduced to mere three seats and the Congress had drawn a blank.
All exit polls had predicted a big win for the ruling Aam Aadmi Party. The BJP has been waiting to return to power for almost two decades.
दिल्ली वालों गज़ब कर दिया।
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 11, 2020
I Love You
- @ArvindKejriwal pic.twitter.com/tinjT4Unxs
Manish Sisodia, who was the deputy chief minister in the AAP-led dispensation and led the Delhi government's education reforms, defeated his BJP rival Ravinder Singh Negi by over 3,000 votes, after trailing in the initial trends. Raghav Chadha, who was fielded from Rajinder Nagar constituency in place of the sitting MLA, also went on to defeat his BJP rival. He registered a comfortable victory over his BJP rival Sardar R P Singh from the seat.
Atishi, who was fielded from Kalkaji, was also poised for victory after initially trailing from the seat. However, BJP's candidate for Kalkaji seat, Dharambir Singh alleged that there is an issue with an EVM and requested for a recount, poll officials said.
The counting of votes began at 8 am on Tuesday and is being held in multiple rounds, Delhi Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ranbir Singh said.
The election, largely seen as a battle between the AAP and the BJP, was held on Saturday, to seal the fate of 672 candidates — 593 men and 79 women.
Nearly 24 hours after the polling ended in Delhi, the Election Commission on Sunday announced that the final voter turnout was 62.59%, 5% less than 2015, and asserted that it followed the laid down process to compile data, after the AAP questioned the "delay".
Over 1.47 crore people were eligible to vote in the Delhi polls, including 2.33 lakh in the age group of 18-19.
AAP contested all the seats in Delhi, while the BJP contested in alliance with the JD(U); and the Congress was in alliance with the RJD.
In the 2015 Assembly polls, the AAP had routed rival parties in the last Assembly polls, bagging 67 seats while the BJP was reduced to mere three seats and the Congress had drawn a blank. AAP had a vote share of 54.3% while BJP had a vote share of 32.3%. The turnout in the 2015 Assembly polls was 67.47%.
With inputs from agencies