AAP leader Atishi resigned as the Chief Minister of Delhi on Sunday, paving the way for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to form a new government after its return to power in the capital after 27 years. The BJP has not yet announced its chief ministerial candidate, but party sources indicate that the oath-taking ceremony will take place after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from his official visit to the US, expected around February 14 or 15.
A day after securing a decisive victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, BJP candidates held thanksgiving rallies in their constituencies, celebrating by distributing sweets, cutting cakes, and expressing gratitude to voters. The BJP won 48 out of 70 seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) managed to secure 22 seats. Congress, on the other hand, suffered another major setback, failing to win a single seat for the third consecutive time in the Delhi Assembly elections.
According to the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), 31 out of 70 newly elected MLAs have declared criminal cases against them, which is lower than the 43 MLAs in the previous Assembly. Meanwhile, BJP Delhi President Virendra Sachdeva questioned Atishi’s celebrations despite Arvind Kejriwal’s loss, accusing AAP of corruption and mismanagement. Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal also criticized Atishi after videos surfaced of her celebrating her victory in the Kalkaji constituency. BJP’s winning candidate from Bijwasan, Kailash Gehlot, stated that the people of Delhi had given a strong response to AAP’s “false promises” and welcomed the BJP’s return.
BJP leader Vijender Gupta took a dig at AAP’s governance, stating that the party had failed to fulfill its commitments while in power and that the BJP would ensure the implementation of all its promises. Meanwhile, AAP’s winning candidate from Kirari, Anil Jha, mentioned that his party would play the role of a constructive opposition, while sarcastically remarking on BJP’s promise to clean the Yamuna River, stating, “We will support them so that they can take a dip in the Yamuna River.”
On the other hand, senior Congress leader Rajiv Shukla reaffirmed that the INDIA bloc remains united and will strategize collectively for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, despite AAP’s loss in Delhi. As BJP prepares for governance, all eyes are now on the announcement of Delhi’s new Chief Minister, with the swearing-in ceremony likely to take place after PM Modi’s return later this week. Stay tuned for further updates.
