The Opposition parties in unison congratulated Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor Arvind Kejriwal for his resounding victory in the Delhi Assembly elections . They said the BJP’s defeat in the elections showed that politics of polarisation and division didn't pay dividends.
Rajya Sabha floor leader of the Biju Janata Dal Prasanna Acharya, in a telling comment, said, “The BJP claims to be the biggest political party of the world. And it has been defeated by the smallest party in the country. This shows the beauty of Indian democracy and maturity of Indian voters.”
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress President Mamata Banerjee was one of the earliest to congratulate Mr Kejriwal. In a tweet, she said, “Congratulations @ArvindKejriwal as #DelhiResults show @AamAadmiParty all set to win #DelhiElection2020 with a thumping majority yet again. Leaders playing on faith through hate speech and divisive politics should take a cue, as only those who deliver on their promises are rewarded.” She had endorsed the AAP in the Delhi polls.
The Congress, which drew a blank in the elections, was all praise for Mr. Kejriwal. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, in a tweet, congratulated him, while former UPA Minister P Chidambaram, in a series of tweets, said the Delhi results was a booster for the confidence of the Opposition that the BJP could be defeated in every State. “The Delhi vote is close to an All India vote than to a state-specific vote. Because Delhi is a mini India,” he said in a tweet.
Rashtriya Janata Dal, which fought in four seats in Delhi, also complimented Mr. Kejriwal. "Congratulations Arvind Kejriwal ji & Delhi ! You have defeated negative & blatant hate politics decisively. Your verdict marks the defeat of politics of polarisation and division. I sincerely hope BJP takes a cue from this result and shuns communalism & bigotry once for all ", tweeted Leader of the Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav.
DMK President M K Stalin called the Delhi results a clear vindication that development trumped communal politics.
CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said the AAP had given a befitting reply to the BJP’s politics of hate and violence.
CPI general secretary D Raja called it a defeat for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah who, he said, concentrated all their energies on the Delhi polls. This was a defeat for the BJP narrative on the Citizenship (Amendment) ACT and National Register for Citizens that was used for communal polarisation.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackery said the poll results showed that people din't want to listen to ‘mann ki baat’ (Mr. Modi's monthly radio show) any more but preferred ‘jan ki baat’ instead.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar accused the BJP of polarisation. The people of Delhi had rejected the saffron party’s divisive policies.“The results of the Delhi polls indicate that winds of change are blowing in the country,” he said, adding that the BJP's, arrogance had proved to be its undoing”.
