An unexpected victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the East Delhi Corporation on Tuesday gave its leaders and party workers a good reason to celebrate. Of the 64 wards in the region, the BJP won 35, the Congress 19, Independents six, Bahujan Samaj Party three and Samajwadi Party one.
A beaming East Delhi Corporation elections convener Dr. Harsh Vardhan said the civic poll results assume significance because the Congress received a drubbing in its own backyard.
“With Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's son Sandeep Dikshit and Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president J. P. Agarwal being East Delhi MPs, the Congress party's defeat proves that the trans-Yamuna area has been badly neglected by the State Government,” he said.
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BJP leader Rameshwar Chaurasia said the victory in East Delhi was special because it was considered a Congress stronghold. “We knew that if women turn up in good numbers to vote the Congress would be trounced. A housewife who purchases groceries worth Rs.100 daily will never vote for a State government that failed to check price rise. The anger against the Congress was clearly reflected in the results.”
Local BJP leaders said the Chief Minister's move to trifurcate the MCD proved counter-productive.
The counting process started at the Industrial Training Institute in Khichripur at 8 a.m. For BJP's Rajkumar Dhillon, who defeated Congress candidate D.P. Maurya by 2,000 votes in Kalyanpuri (SC), the victory means added responsibility. “Kalyanpuri faces many problems, lack of drinking water supply being the main concern.”
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The BJP candidate from Vinod Nagar, Sarala Chaudhari, waited anxiously at ITI in Khichripur since early morning. At 11 a.m., when it was announced that she had won, her supporters broke into wild celebrations. Later she went door to door to thank the people for voting for her. She defeated Congress candidate Madhu Bhandari. About four quintal of ladoos were distributed to the residents of Vinod Nagar.