Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were voted back to power with a massive mandate in the Delhi Assembly election as the party won 62 seats in the 70-member House.
The party dropped just five seats and less than a percentage point in vote share from its stellar 2015 showing.
Also read | AAP sweeps Delhi with 62 seats
Despite a hard-fought and oftentimes bitter campaign that saw big guns, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah address rallies, the BJP managed to win only eight seats, up three from its 2015 tally.
The Congress, yet again, failed to open its account — the party’s candidates looked set to forfeit their deposits on 63 of the 66 seats contested.
Speaking after the victory, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said, “The people of Delhi have given birth to a new kind of politics — the politics of work. This is a vote for those who build schools, who provide electricity and healthcare. This augurs well for the country.”
He visited a Hanuman temple in Connaught Place soon after the victory.
Here are the updates:
AAP wins all 12 seats reserved seats
The Aam Aadmi Party has emerged victorious on all the 12 seats reserved for SC candidates, with the minimum victory margin being almost 12,000 votes.
Rajendra Pal Gautam, who is Social Welfare Minister in the outgoing government, retained the Seemapuri seat by a whopping margin of over 56,000 votes against Lok Janshakti Party’s Sant Lal. The BJP fought this election in alliance with Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party.
Kejriwal declared elected
Mr. Kejriwal has won the New Delhi seat defeating BJP’s Sunil Kumar Yadav by a margin of 21, 697 votes. Mr. Kejriwal secured 46,758 votes against the 25,061 received by Mr. Yadav. In 2015, Mr. Kejriwal won the seat by a margin of 31,583 votes.
AAP holds on to its vote share; BJP improves, Congress registers worst show
The AAP held on to the nearly 54% votes it had got in the 2015 Delhi Assembly polls, while the BJP bagged its second best of 38.5% votes in Assembly elections in Delhi and the Congress registered its worst-ever performance with its vote share slipping to 4%.
According to Election Commission figures, AAP bagged 53.6% of the votes. It won 54.34% votes in 2015.
On the other hand, the BJP bagged 38.5% votes in the national capital, 6% more than the last time.
In the Lok Sabha polls held in May 2019, the BJP polled over 56% votes in Delhi, more than the combined vote share of the Congress (22.5%)and the AAP (18.1%), and won all the seven seats.
In the first Assembly polls held in Delhi in 1993, the BJP bagged 42.82% per cent votes. It secured 34.02% in 1998 and 35.22% in 2003, 36.34 % in 2008, 33.07% in 2013 and 32.19% in 2015.
The worst hit was the Congress with its vote share dipping further to 4.3%. The grand old party was in power in the national capital from 1998 to 2013. In the 1993 Assembly polls, it secured 34.48% votes. When it captured power in Delhi in 1998, it bagged 47.76%, followed by 48.13% and 40.31% in 2003 and 2008 respectively. In 2013, its vote share fell nearly half to 24.55% and the party managed to win only eight seats.
The Congress’s vote share dipped further to 9.65% in 2015 and to 4.27% in 2020.
NOTA (none of the above) registered a 0.46% vote share. The Bahujan Samaj Party garnered 0.71% votes.
AAP wins 52 seats, on course to win 10 more
The Aam Aadmi Party has won 52 assembly seats and leading on 10 as per latest results and trends, with Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia emerging victorious. Chief Minister Arvind kejriwal is leading by over 21,000 votes as per the Election Commission site.
AAP crosses half-way mark with 36 wins
AAP crossed the halfway mark in the 70-member Delhi Legislative Assembly, winning 36 seats and was leading in 26 seats, according to Election Commission figures.
5:50 p.m.
Kejriwal reaches Hanuman Mandir in Central Delhi to offer prayers after winning Assembly elections. While addressing AAP workers at the party office earlier, he had thanked the deity.
On Saturday, the Delhi CM had reacted to BJP Delhi chief Manoj Tiwari’s allegation that he made the Hanuman Temple 'impure' by not washing his hands after removing his shoes and doing puja. Read more here .
5 p.m.
A child dressed like Kejriwal during celebrations at Aam Aadmi Party office after its massive win in Delhi Assembly elections.
'Baby Kejriwal' at AAP office
4:45 p.m.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari congratulates Kejriwal
He expressed hope that Delhi "will develop, and the ambitions of its people will be fulfilled." "Sometimes, when things don’t go your way, it can lead to dejection but I would request the workers of the party not to feel dejected,” he added.
Tiwari said that since he is the State unit president, "I take responsibility for the results."
4:20 p.m.
Union Minister Hardeep Puri also took to Twitter, congratulating Kejriwal and AAP.
“Thank you to all the people of Delhi for putting their faith in Aam Aadmi Party,” said Atishi, “and voting for politics of development. In the last 5 years we have endeavoured to make Delhi’s Govt. Schools the best in the country and now we’ll make Kalkaji the best constituency in Delhi!”
Delhi has trusted its son for the third time: Kejriwal
Arvind Kejriwal addresses AAP workers at the party headquarters in Delhi, saying, “Delhi has trusted its son for the third time. It’s a victory for every family of Delhi.
“People of Delhi have given birth to a new type of politics.” Mr. Kejriwal that their work has helped them win in the national capital.
“This is a vote for those who build schools, vote for those who provide electricity and healthcare. This augurs well for the country. Today is Tuesday. Day for Hanumanji. I thank Hanumanji too. We will make Delhi a better and more pretty city in the next five years.
“I thank all my workers and family. It’s also my wife’s birthday. I have had cake. I want all of you to have cake too. People of Delhi, you have done wonders... I love you.”
Mr. Kejriwal ends his speech with slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Inquilab Zindabad”.
Raghav Chadha of the AAP has won from Rajinder Nagar. The ECI has declared the first result, with Mr. Chadha getting more than 58,000 votes. The BJP's R.P. Singh got over 38,000 votes.
The results for the Patel Nagar and Sultanpur Majra constituencies have also been declared. Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat of the AAP has won in Sultanpur Majra with a margin of over 48,000 votes, while Raaj Kumar Anand of the same party has won in Patel Nagar, this time with a margin of over 30,000 votes.
The AAP's current vote-share is 53.56%, while the BJP's is 38.78% at 3 p.m. The Congress is in third place with a vote-share of 4.25%.
This is a almost the same than the AAP's vote-share at the end of counting (54%) from 2015.
AAP leader and Rajinder Nagar candidate Raghav Chadha arrives at the party headquarters.
Kejriwal leads in New Delhi, while Sisodia trails
Early trends point to the Aam Aadmi Party’s key candidates leading in important constituencies. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, contesting from New Delhi constituency, is leading against the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sunil Yadav by over 14,000 votes.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is trailing in Patparganj constituency by a little over 1,200 votes. A founding member of the AAP, Mr. Sisodia holds the education, finance and tourism portfolios in addition to his post as Deputy CM.
Kalkaji : Aatishi of AAP is now leading by 2,047 votes over Dharambir Singh of BJP.
Mustafabad : AAP takes over, now leading by 22,854 votes after 24th round of counting.
In case you have just joined us, the ruling AAP is all set to form the government in Delhi again, leading comfortably by over 55 seats as the counting continues this afternoon. AAP members started celebrating in the morning, soon after the party claimed the initial lead. It's akin to fielders celebrating a certain run-out, with the confirmation from the third umpire a mere formality.
AAP's Amanatullah Khan, who was trailing earlier this morning, is leading by 69,658 votes in Okhla constituency after 13 rounds. BJP's Braham Singh is a distant second.
Scenes at the Akshardam counting centre, Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Arvind Kejriwal set to return as Delhi CM for third time
Arvind Kejriwal and party leaders tracking trends at the AAP party office, Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Arvind Kejriwal is set to return as Delhi’s Chief Minister for a third time after the voters of Delhi gave his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) a thumbs up in a hard-fought election. As of 12.24 p.m. on Tuesday, the AAP was leading in 58 seats, the BJP was ahead in 12 and the Congress was still to open its account.
Mr. Kejriwal’s party went to the polls with his performance or Kaam ki Rajniti, as he told The Hindu in a recent interview. Electricity bills, mohalla clinics and improved government schools were a big part of his agenda.
No fireworks, says Kejriwal
AAP supporters celebrating the victory at the party headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 Photo
As AAP is set to register a massive victory, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday asked party volunteers to not burst firecrackers during celebrations to prevent air pollution.
AAP volunteers grooved to party anthem “Lage Raho Kejriwal” and hugged each other and maintained they will strictly abide by the direction of Mr. Kejriwal.
They said other preparations, including ordering sweets and namkeens and even “band baja”, were underway at the party’s ITO headquarters.
The AAP was leading on 57 seats while the BJP on 13, according to the latest election trends. - PTI
'Hindustan has won'
"Your son Arvind Kejriwal was called a terrorist. Kejriwal had said that day that on 11th our two crore-strong family will say that their son Kejriwal is not a terrorist but a strong patriot," AAP MP and Assembly election incharge Sanjay Singh said while addressing party workers.
"They had said it was a Hindustan-Pakistan match. Hindustan has won, Hindustan has won, Hindustan has won," Mr. Singh said.
Poll statrategiest Prashant Kishor who recently had joined hands with AAP after being expelled from JD(U), has tweeted: "Thank you Delhi for standing up to protect the soul of India".
AAP's Raghav Chadha, Dilip Pandey lead; Atishi trails
Rajinder Nagar : AAP's Raghav Chadha is comfortably ahead of BJP’s Sardar RP Singh by over 15000 votes.
Kalkaji : AAP's Atishi, however, is trailing BJP's Dharambir Singh, by a slender 170 votes.
Timarpur : AAP's Dilip Pandey is leading BJP's Surinder Pal Singh by by nearlyu 9000 votes.
The AAP had dropped its sitting MLAs to field the three leaders, who unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election last year.
Time to check again on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia. Mr. Kejriwal still holds a comfortable lead in the New Delhi constituency, by over 8200 votes over BJP's Sunil Kumar Yadav. In Patparganj , Mr Sisodia is trailing by over 1500 votes against BJP's Ravinder Singh Negi.
A fight between 'a giant and a pygmy'
The Delhi Assembly election was a fight between “a giant and a pygmy” and the AAP is winning it despite the NDA government using all its might to wrest power in the national capital, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said on Tuesday.
As trends indicated that the Aam Aadmi Party was leading on over 55 seats and the BJP on 14, Mr. Chowdhury said the people of Delhi voted for development.
As we inch closer to noon, Congress is yet to open its account. Yet to put bat on ball perhaps, let alone get off the mark.
Congress spokesperson Sharmistha Mukherkee tweets: "We r again decimated in Delhi.Enuf of introspection, time 4 action now. Inordinate delay in decision making at the top, lack of strategy & unity at state level, demotivated workers, no grassroots connect-all r factors.Being part of d system, I too take my share of responsibility."
In Okhla , AAP's Amanatullah Khan claims he's leading by 65,000 votes after 11 rounds. The ECI website hasn't updated votes counted since the first round, but sources on ground also confirm that Mr. Khan is leading by a wide margin.
Mustafabad : Sitting BJP MLA Jagdish Pradhan is leading with the highest margin among all candidates till now. He has polled over 44,800 votes. Haji Yunus of AAP is a distant second with over 15,300 votes.
Okhla : BJP candidate Braham Singh is leading from Okhla. Incumbent AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan is trailing by 194 votes. Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Nagar fall under the Okhla constituency.
Seelampur : AAP's Abdul Rehman, who was trailing earlier, has made a comeback. He is ahead of BJP's Kaushal Mishra by 743 votes. Seelampur had witnessed incidents of violence during a protest against the CAA.
Meanwhile in Mumbai, AAP members can't contain their joy
Aam Aadmi Party members celebrate their victory in Delhi elections 2020 while watching results at Andheri in Mumbai, February 11, 2020
AAP ministers in close contest
Five out of the seven ministers fielded by the Aam Aadmi Party are leading according to trends from the Election Commission.
Home Minister Satyendar Jain has a narrow lead over SC Vats of the BJP from Shakur Basti. Transport minister Kailash Ghelot is trailing by 621 votes to Ajit Singh Kharkhari of the BJP from Najafgarh.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia leading by a narrow margin of 74 votes in Patparganj.
Two out of the three candidates that the AAP put up for the 2019 Lok Sabha election and were fielded again are leading. AAP candidate from Kalkaji Atishi is trailing by a narrow margin.
Trends for 69 out of the 70 assembly seats have been shown by the Election Commission with the AAP leading in 50 and BJP in 19. - Jaideep Deo Bhanj
The ruling AAP on Tuesday managed to hold its ground in all the seven Lok Sabha seats of the national capital despite facing stiff competition from the BJP in the 2020 Delhi assembly polls.
As per the early trends, the AAP was leading in 56 seats while the BJP was leading on 14 seats and the Congress on one seat in the national capital.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwary is still hopeful: “Initial trends are definitely not in our favour but it is better than the exit polls. Party workers should not be demoralised over trends.We should wait for final results.We are still hopeful."
Okhla: BJP leads with its candidate Braham Singh ahead of AAP’s Amatullah Khan by around 194 votes.
Also read: In Okhla, AAP holds sway
Najafgarh: Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot(AAP) behind BJP’s Ajeet Singh Kharkhari by 621 votes
Karawal Nagar: AAP’s Durgesh Pathak trailing by over 2,800 votes, BJP’s Mohan Singh Bisht in the lead
Durgesh Pathak is the youngest member of the Aam Aadmi Party’s Political Affairs Committee, the party’s highest decision-making body. Click here for his interview with The Hindu .
Vikaspuri: AAP's Maninder Yadav leads with 3581 votes over BJP's Sanjay Singh
Babarpur: Gopal Rai leading by 1,994 votes over BJP's Naresh Gaur
It is necessary for the Constitution, democracy, and humanity, said Minister and member of AAP’s Political Affairs Committee Gopal Rai during a recent interview. Read the excerpts here .
Click here for the interactive map on Delhi Assembly election results
Mustafabad: BJP's Jagdish Pradhan leading in Muslim dominated Mustafabad with 14,710 votes. Mustafabad saw the third highest turnout with 70.55% of electors casting their ballot.
Malviya Nagar: Sitting AAP MLA Somnath Bharti is leading by 617 votes over BJP's Shailender Singh
Seelampur: BJP's Kaushal Kumar Mishra leading with 4419 votes. Seelampur saw the second highest turnout with 71.22%
Vote share at 10.30 am
AAP: 51.07%
BJP: 41.30%
Congress: 4.29%
NOTA: 0.45%
Kalkaji: BJP's Dharambir Singh leading by 191 votes over Senior AAP leader Atishi.
Atishi is known for working with Sisodia in the education sector. She is contesting against Shivani Chopra,an advocate and daughter of Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra, three-time MLA (1998-2013) from the area. Sitting AAP MLA Avtar Singh was denied a ticket.
Chandni Chowk: AAP's Parlad Singh Sawhney leads by 5886 votes against INC's Alka Lamba.
Hari Nagar: BJP's Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga was trailing behind AAP's Raj Kumari Dhillon who leads by 56 votes.
Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga shot into prominence in 2011 when he physically attacked noted lawyer Prashant Bhushan in the latter’s chamber over his statement on holding of a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir. Since then, Mr. Bagga has been getting steady prominence being at the forefront of several social media campaigns run by the BJP, something that made the party choose him as the candidate for the Assembly polls.
From the votes counted till 10.00 am AAP leads in 33; BJP in 19.
Congress second in three of the 52 seats in which trends are known: Matia Mahal, Chandni Chowk and Gandhi Nagar.
Patparganj: AAP's Manish Sisodia leading by 112 votes over BJP's Ravinder Singh Negi
Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia won the seat two consecutive times in 2013 and 2015 with significant vote share. Sisodia is credited for his work in the education sector in the national capital.
Model Town: BJP's Kapil Mishra leading by 98 votes over AAP's Akhilesh Pati Tripathi. The Election Commission on January 25 had imposed a 48-hour-long ban on Kapil Mishra over his controversial tweets in relation to the anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh.
Kapil Mishra. File
Mr. Mishra’s tweets include “Delhi mein chote chote Pakistan bane (A number of mini Pakistans have been created in Delhi)”, “ Shaheen Bagh mein Pakistan ki entry (entry of Pakistan in Shaheen Bagh)”, “India vs Pakistan February 8 Delhi” and a tweet in which he alleged, in Hindi, that the AAP and Congress had created “mini Pakistans” in Shaheen Bagh. “India would stand up” to teach them a lesson on February 8, the day the city goes to the polls, too was among those referred to in the EC’s order.
While Twitter had taken down one of his controversial tweets on Friday following the directions of the EC, an FIR was lodged against him under section 125 of the Representation of the People Act dealing with creating enmity among classes. The order said the poll panel was not satisfied with Mishra’s reply to the show cause notice issued to him.
A scene at the AAP headquarters during the counting of the votes in New Delhi on February 11, 2020
At 9.45 am, Arvind Kejiriwal, leading by 2026 votes over BJP's Sunil Kumar Yadav in New Delhi constituency.
Rajinder Nagar: AAP candidate Raghav Chadha, who lost the Lok Sabha elections from South Delhi, leading by 2359 votes over BJP's Sardar RP Singh
Gandhi Nagar: AAP's Naveen Chaudhary leading by 3052 votes over INC's Arvinder Singh Loveli
Celebrations at the AAP headquarters
Celebrations start at the AAP headquarters in New Delhi on February 11, 2020
Even before the first round of counting commenced, Delhi Congress chief spokesperson Mukesh Sharma, who contested from Vikaspuri, conceded defeat. He tweeted: “While conceding my defeat, I would like to thank all the voters and Congress party workers in Vikaspuri and hope for the all round development of the constituency. I will keep fighting for the all round development of the Vikaspuri and Uttam Nagar Assembly constituencies in future as well.”
Constituencies to watch out for
Counting in progress at Siri Fort in New Delhi on February 11, 2020
Delhi CM and AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal is contesting against Sunil Kumar Yadav of the BJP and Congress’ Romesh Sabharwal. Yadav, a lawyer and chief of the Delhi BJP youth wing, has appealed to people to vote for someone who will be ‘accessible’. Sabharwal, a first-timer, was the State NSUI president in 1987-88 and has been an executive member of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee since 2004.
Tight security in place
The election, largely seen as a battle between the ruling Aam Aadmi Party and the BJP, which went aggressive during the high-octane campaign, was held on February 8, sealing the fate of 672 candidates -- 593 men and 79 women.
Strong rooms spread across the city storing the EVMs are being heavily guarded, with a “three-layer security ring”, said Delhi CEO Ranbir Singh.
Security personnel stand guard outside a strong room, a day after the national capital went to the polls for the Assembly election, at a counting centre in Akshardham, New Delhi on February 9, 2020.
“We are all geared up for the counting tomorrow and elaborate security arrangements have been put in place. The exercise will be carried out as per the laid-down procedures of the Election Commission,” he said.
33 counting observers; 'foolproof and non-tamperable' EVMs
Each EVM consists of a ballot unit (BU), a controls units (CU) and a voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT.)
From every Assembly constituency, five VVPATs will be randomly selected and they will be counted, he said.
The counting centres are located across the 11 districts, including at CWG Sports Complex in East Delhi, NSIT Dwarka in West Delhi, Meerabai Institute of Technology and GB Pant Institute of Technology in Southeast Delhi, Sir CV Raman ITI, Dheerpur in Central Delhi, and Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Bawana in North Delhi.
There will be 33 counting observers, officials said.
There were 13,780 polling booths where every vote was accounted for by the presiding officers which is a time-consuming exercise, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Sandeep Saxena said at a press conference on Sunday.
Critical and vulnerable polling locations, numbered 545 and spanned 3,843 booths.
In view of the ongoing anti-CAA protest in Shaheen Bagh, the Delhi CEO’s Office had put all five polling stations in the area under the “critical” category.
Security personnel kept guard at strong rooms storing electronic voting machines (EVMs).
The Delhi Chief Electoral Officer, a day ahead of the polls, had said all EVMs were tested and they were “foolproof and non-tamperable”.
Congress rejects exit poll results
A day after voting in Delhi Assembly elections, the Congress on Sunday rejected the exit poll results, most of which predicted little or no change in the party’s fortunes from 2015. The party the result, to be declared on February 11, would “surprise everyone”.
BJP refrains from making arrangements for celebrations
On the eve of Delhi Assembly election results here on Monday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), exuded confidence of its victory though sought to maintain restraint when it came to preparations for celebrations amid exit poll results predicting a sweep by the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
Speaking on condition of anonymity, Delhi BJP leaders said that no special arrangements were made in advance for celebrations if the party wins the elections.
BJP likely to gain over 2015 tally
Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP sought to retain power on development plank, against the BJP that ran an aggressive campaign centred around the issues of anti-CAA protests and nationalism.
Most exit polls also predicted that the Congress is unlikely to open its account even this time in Delhi, which it ruled from 1998 to 2013.
Looking to capture power after 22 years, the BJP had mounted one of the most aggressive campaigns in the Delhi Assembly polls, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah leading the saffron charge on its planks of Hindutva and nationalism, and its strident opposition to Shaheen Bagh protests.
The issue often dominated the political discourse during the campaign, with many BJP leaders targeting the AAP, and the Congress, accusing them of “misleading people” holding anti-CAA protests in Delhi.
A section of voters on February 8 claimed that the prolonged street agitation demanding revocation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was “not an issue in the beginning of the campaign” but “political parties had slowly turned it into one”.
Ballimaran constituency recorded the highest voter turnout of 71.6% among all the 70 Assembly seats in the national capital, while Delhi Cantonment brought up the rear in polling percentage, according to data shared by officials on February 9.
Okhla constituency recorded 58.84%. Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Nagar fall in Okhla Assembly constituency, where hectic polling had taken place till late afternoon.
Shaheen Bagh has been the epicentre of anti-CAA protests in Delhi, running into over 50 days now.
Over 1.47 crore people were eligible to vote in the Delhi polls, including 2,32,815 in the age group of 18-19.
The turnout in the 2015 Assembly polls stood at 67.47%. The AAP had routed rival parties bagging 67 seats and the BJP was reduced to mere three seats, while the Congress had drawn a blank.
Exit polls predict big win for AAP
The ruling Aam Admi Party (AAP) is all set to return to power for another term with a big win, based on the projections of all major exit polls.
The counting of votes will take place on February 11.
A poll of polls done by NDTV showed AAP winning 56 of the 70 seats, a drop from its tally of 67 seats in 2015, while the BJP was projected to win 14 seats, a jump from the three seats won by the party in the last Assembly election.
AAP questions EC delay in releasing turnout figures
The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday hit out at the Election Commission for not announcing the final polling percentage even 24 hours after the polling was over. The Chief Electoral Officer announced the figure at a press conference at 7 p.m.
The Chief Elector Officer said the total turnout took long to collect and calculate and hence took time to be shared.
(With inputs from Agencies)
