AAP Wins 67 out of 70 Seats, All Set to Form Majority Government Finally

Arvind Kejriwal with his Wife

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has created a whole in the sky with its exceptional performance in the recently concluded Delhi Legislative Assembly Elections, which took place on 7^th Feb, 2015. The counting that was slated to take place on 10^th Feb took everyone by surprise with AAP being bombarded by votes from every constituency but three.

If the 2014 Parliament Elections are remembered for the Modi’s wave, this one will be reminisced for Kejriwal’s Tsunami, with his anti corruption political party leaving hardly anything for the opponents. While its main rival Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) managed to bag only 3 of the 70 seats, the plight of Congress, the third contender in the elections remained even more critical as it scored a duck. The remaining seats received an outstanding support for the so far political minnows with a landslide victory on 67 seats.

Since the very beginning of the Delhi Election campaign, it looked no less than a blitzkrieg, with each party investing its best assets to the fore. While Congress confided on his veteran member Ajay Maken, the BJP launched India’s first IPS officer as the Chief Ministerial candidate, preferring her to other party stalwarts like Dr. Harsha Wardhan and Jadgish Mukhi.  However, it seems that Bedi’s inclusion in the party and her selection as the candidate for the state’s top job only 15 days prior to the election date backfired.

Ahead of the two opponents, Arvind Kejriwal, one of the cofounders of AAP, was the unanimous choice to lead the campaign. 

The Three Main Contenders 

Notably, Kejriwal was the Chief Minister of Delhi in 2014 as well, when he ruled the state for 49 days. However, he was compelled to resign from the post due to his government’s inability to pass the Jan Lokpal bill and certain other reforms. The lapse happened because the party (with 28 seats) didn’t secure majority (35 seats) in 2013 assembly elections and had to seek the support of Congress (with 8 seats). BJP was the leading party in that election with 31 seats, though it was also unable to form the government on its own.

The 2015 election was fought on the lack of necessities that troubled the common people the most. Problems related to corruption, water, electricity, school admissions and fees, aids to impoverished, etc., were among the major issues. While AAP tried its level best to convince the electorates of their ability to eradicate all such social evils from the roots, the other two parties remained busy in the mudslinging and smear campaigns against Kejriwal and co. As expected, the result unveiled a strong mandate against both.

Delhi Poll 2015 Results

The poll outcomes also overshadowed the findings of the exit polls conducted by various News channels in collaboration with various Research and survey conducting agencies. The maximum seats that the exit polls gave to AAP were 53 and for BJP, it was around 35. Congress was expected to get somewhere around 3 seats. However, the result took everyone by surprise, as it left nothing to cheer for the ruling party in the center and the former ruling party in both the state and center. AAP gained a mammoth 54.3% of the total share, a giant leap from over 20% in the previous election. The efforts of AAP think tank comprising Yogendra Yadav, Kumar Vishwas, Sanjay Singh, Ashutosh, and Manish Sisodia among others, seems to have paid off heavily in the end. In addition, social media too played its part nicely in connecting with the Delhi’s citizens, especially the youths.

The major winners from AAP include Manish Sisodia (Patparganj), Somnath Bharti (Malviya Nagar),  Rakhi Bidla (Mangol Puri), Amanatullah Khan (Okhla), Alka Lamba (Chandni Chowk), and Arvind Kejriwal (New Delhi) himself. The prominent BJP leaders who ended up being runner up included Kiran Bedi, (Krishna Nagar), Jagdish Mukhi (Janakpuri), Nupur Sharma (New Delhi), Vinod Kumar Binny (Patparganj). Major congress leaders who lost the battle included Ajay Makan, AK Walia, and Haroon Yusuf among the others.

The voter turnout this time has been amazing with a record voting of above 67%, which is better than

Three Main Political Parties  

65% voting done in 2013 Delhi elections. The widespread interest among the Delhi citizens has been unprecedented, which clearly indicates the aspirations they have associated with AAP. Hence, despite being a landslide victory for Aam Aadmi Party, this is only half battle won. Now is the time to prove their efficiency and deliver what they have been given thumbs up for. For sure, the new government would attempt to make the best efforts in the first six months of its rule, just to make sure that it is on the right track.

A delighted Arvind Kejriwal, who is often jibed for his muffler and cough problem, urged his party members to keep their cool, behave sanely and avoid being arrogant. Talking to his people in the AAP's Patel Nagar office, he said, “Both BJP and Congress were defeated due to their arrogance; make sure you don’t commit the same mistake”. Manoj Sisodia, a key member of the party said, “This is not the time to celebrate but work. The celebration time will arrive when we will be able to satisfy the Delhi citizens”. 

Arvind Kejriwal Connecting with People

Meanwhile, the campaign leaders of both the opposition parties have congratulated Aam Aadmi Party for their historical win. PM Narendra Modi himself called Kejriwal to congratulate on his feet and invited him for “Chai pe charcha”.
The oath taking ceremony is slated to take place on 14^th February, 2015, which coincides with Valentine Day. While Arvind Kejriwal is sure to take the oath for CM post, the cabinet members are yet to be decided.