New Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) surged ahead of BJP towards a thumping victory in Delhi — a hat-trick — as counting of votes progressed this morning, but remained short of the 67 it won in 2015.
An aggregate of five exit polls had given AAP 56 seats. The BJP, after a slow start, made steady gains but remained a distant second. And it is a duck for Congress for the second consecutive time. Interestingly, Congress had ruled Delhi for three consecutive terms from 1998 to 2013 under late Sheila Dixit.
As AAP started building a stage for its victory speech, State BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari, who predicted 55-odd seats for his Party, reminded supporters that many rounds of counting are still to come.
The 1968-born Arvind Kejriwal took over as Delhi Chief Minister on Dec. 28, 2013 and on Feb. 14, 2014, President’s rule was imposed. He was CM for only 48 days. He again became the CM on Feb. 14, 2015 and ruled Delhi for five years till Feb. 13 this year and elections were announced. Now Kejriwal is all set to become the CM for third term.
Among the heavyweights leading in various Constituencies are AAP’s Rakhi Birla, Ragav Chaddha, Satyender Jain and Kapil Misra who changed camp from AAP to BJP.
All the Congress heavyweights, including Alka Lamba, Arvinder Singh Lovely, Ashok Kumar Walia and Poonam Azad are trailing.
Among the AAP heavyweights trailing are Manish Sisodia, Atishi Marlena, Kailash Gahlot and Satyender Jain.
Manish Sisodia struggles
In an up-and-down battle, Manish Sisodia trailed by 1,427 votes from his nearest rival, BJP’s Ravinder Singh Negi around noon. Sisodia is number two leader in AAP and as Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi he held all key portfolios in the AAP Government.
AAP, which accused the BJP of polarising the voters over the Shaheen Bagh protests, said the results indicated that the “real nationalism is to work for the people”.
“Our victory will prove that real patriotism is that if you get the opportunity in politics, you must work for people. Work on education, hospitals… Delhi will prove that if a Government works sincerely, then it can win,” Sisodia said.
A wonderful win! As some have said, it was Muffler vs Bluffer and Vikaas vs Bakwaas. The hate mongers are not going to go away, but a small respite at any rate.
It is proven that an overdose of anything is harmful. We Indians are getting slowly tired of an overdose of hate, violence, Pakistan and Hindu-Muslim jingoism.
Karnataka BJP MLA Anand Singh has 15 cases against him. Most of the cases are under the Karnataka forest act and for illegal mining. He was an associate of illegal mining barons Reddy brothers.
So, Yeddyurappa appointed him as Forest Minister of Karnataka!
The fox guards the hen coop.
We need an AAP-like organization to guard us from these scoundrels.
@Govind Pai, looks like you missed out or ignored the following news item :
“One-third AAP MLAs have criminal cases”…
Manish Sasodia who was the education minister won by a margin of less than 3000 votes while Amanatolla Khan who orgsnized CAA protests won with over 70.000 votes! So BJP should recognize what is needed to win! Screw the nation but win the election! Let them wake up when they have to pack up overnight like Kashmiri Pandits and leave with no home! We Hindus are the stupidest race on the planet and deserves to be extinct like the dodo bird! It is just lucky we survived in spite of our stupidity amidst traitors!
Lessons from Delhi! A bird in hand is better than 3 in the bush! Immediate freebies is better than a distant better future! Also, fear mongering works better than developmeny! This proof is, Manish sasodia the education minister won by a meager 3000 votes while The person who lead the scale protest Azimathulla Khan won by 70,000 votes! So, if BJP has to win, it should also start appeasement, freebies and encourage terrorism
@ Srikrishna Bhagwan Point taken. I believe more than 1 million people applied to join AAP after their victory. Many are honest and idealistic, but sure many are crooks sniffing a chance to get into politics. Just as, after the BJP started getting power, all the crooks from the Congress, Trinamool and various criminal outfits started joining them in droves (and, tellingly, were welcomed with open arms). I do believe though that the core leadership of AAP is more transparent and competent (politics is the art of the possible) than the goons at the top who hold sway in the BJP now and the crooked family firms that run the Congress and caste based parties. Of course, we all have our biases. I come from a family with some members who are rabidly to the right (RSS) and others rabidly to the left. Have tried to stay somewhere in the middle. No axe to grind myself. Looking for a party that neither appeases the minorities or the majority and protects the rights of all equally (including of women and animals) and builds and strengthens institutions that protects those rights. And spends wisely on health, education and public infrastructure, with help for the deprived (rather than statues or grandiose buildings like our Vidhan Sabha) where indicated. Appeals to the best in us, rather than our hate and resentments. The Congress is already past its expiry date and I no longer have any faith in our current chowkidar (to protect whom we spend 1.4 crores a day!) who is as corrupt (or maybe even more so) than his predecessors, incompetent, and is willing to stoop to the worst level just to win an election, and only great at speechifying and rabble rousing.
One makes a choice from a very imperfect assortment. Reminded of some lines from Leonard Cohen’s song “Anthem.”
“Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in.”
A cousin of mine (a disciple of Ramana Maharshi) interprets Leonard Cohen’s lines (in my previous post) from his song “Anthem” as follows:
“Wow.
The first line is Bhakti yoga. Where you offer prayers and ring the bell.
The second is Karma marga. Where you do nishkama karma.
The third and fourth lines are Jnana marga. Here you seek within. The five senses go inwards and you become antarmukha. Finally the light which is within, shines by itself.”
With the AAP leaders and workers basking in the glory of capturing Delhi for a third time in a row, the party insiders as well as its detractors on Tuesday attributed the party’s stunning poll victory to a slew of schemes involving freebies to Delhiites.
“Free electricity up to 200 units of power and almost next to nil charges over that, free rides for women in public transport buses, up to 20,000 litres of free water per month and free pilgrimage for senior citizens have paid us after all,” confessed a party worker, heaving a sigh of relief over the electoral results
The party workers recall that in the run up to the assembly elections, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders had in their interactions with voters during poll rallies had duly emphasised upon various Delhi government schemes, providing for a host of services to people either free of cost or at a highly subsidised rates.
Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij too on Tuesday in Chandigarh described the AAP win in the Delhi Assembly polls as a victory of freebies
“Delhi ke chunaav mein muddhay haar gai, muftkhori jeet gai (in the Delhi elections, issues lost, freebies won),” he wrote on his Twitter handle.
The apparent reference was to cheap power and water besides free bus rides for women in the capital.
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya too on Tuesday said “freebies” given out by the AAP led to its massive victory in the Delhi Assembly polls.
The AAP dispensation had last October launched free rides for women in public transport buses on Bhai Dooj, asserting that it would empower women and ensure their safety in the national capital.
The move was considered as a political step seeking support of women living in the national capital, said an upbeat AAP leader, adding the party was sure that it would benefit the party in the assembly elections.
Kejriwal had also announced free power consumption up to 200 units and 50 percent subsidy for those consumers using 201 to 400 units per month.
Later, tenants were also brought under the ambit of the scheme. Until now, tenants would not be able to avail 50 per cent government subsidy on consumption of electricity of up to 400 units.
The Arvind Kejriwal-led government had also announced a complete waiver of water arrears for people living in colonies categorised as E, F, G and H.
Consumers of the other four categories (A-D) were given a rebate ranging from 25-75 per cent on their long-pending dues.
The AAP government also decided to waive development and infrastructure charges for new water and sewer connections in the city.
Kejriwal, who was also the chairman of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), had in November said that people would have to pay just Rs 2,310 now to get new water and sewer connections.
The government had also launched ‘Mukhyamatri Tirth Yojana’ under which senior citizens were offered free pilgrimage.
So, if BJP has to win Delhi, tgey should give Delhi a special status like what Kashmir had, subsidize everything for Delhi screwing the rest of the nation!
Some one mentioned some AAP politicians to be criminals. In third world countries like India, the roles of politicians and criminals are interchangeable. Recently, Modi ‘s special guest on the Republic Day, the Brazilian president is accused of several misdeeds bordering illegality and his preaching that political violence is acceptable, sounds like the mind of a criminal.
How *Kaam ki Rajniti* won Delhi.
People outside Delhi believe AAP has won Delhi due to so called freebies but here is the *Truth*_
AAP has won Delhi only because of its commitment to its manifesto – in other words, AAP has won Delhi because of its *”Kaam ki Rajniti”
MAJOR Projects in FINISHING stage under DELHI Govt:
1. *400+ New MOHALLA CLINICS* to be added in 2020 after running 450 Mohalla clinics successfully
2. *80+ POLY CLINICS*
3. *3 Major hospitals* will become operational after May 2020 in DWARKA, BURARI, AMBEDKAR NAGAR
4. *2 New Flyovers* in Shastri Park & Seelampur
5. Matiala – *Vikaspuri sewer project* (Biggest sewer project in DJB history ever)
6. Complete *Water & Sewer projects*, Underground electric Cable, Paved road in entire Sangam Vihar & Deoli
7. East Delhi campus of *Delhi Technical University*
8. *15+ Foot Over Bridges* , most of them in South Delhi specially in front of Saket Mall & IIT Delhi
9. *Under Ground water reservoirs* in Rajokri, Mehrauli, Safdarjung Enclave, Sonia Vihar, Patparganj
10. *Chandni Chowk beautification project* by April end but PWD trying to finish it by March (Some issues pending in Delhi HC)
11. *40 KM Road beautification Project of PWD Roads* (Most Ambitious project in PWD history which is lead by German Consultants)
12. *20,000+ Classrooms* in govt schools by March End (ask anybody in Delhi about the performance of students in Delhi’s govt schools. They are outperforming private schools and people are taking their children out of private schools and admitting them in govt schools. Auto drivers’ children are cracking IIT entrance exams thanks to the infrastructure, teaching and encouragement in govt schools. There will be huge multiplier effects for our nation and its economy).
13. *1.4 lakh CCTV installation* Project after 1.4 lakh CCTV installation completed in 1st phase
14. *1.5 lakh CCTV in all govt schools*, in each & every classroom
15. *2.1 lakh street lights* all over delhi (3000 lights/constituency); more will be installed after assessment of dark areas and public demand
16. *Gallery of Signature Bridge* (signature bridge already completed during AAP regime which did not happen after years of congress rule)
17. *1000+ KM Roads in Unauthorized Colonies*
18. *Ground elevation of all transformers* in Seelampur
19. *For Environment* – Real Time Apportionment lab in DPCC HQ (become functional in July), which will help to produce real time data on pollution-causing factors so that pollution causing activities can be banned or alternative way can be designed
_*This is over and above basic work of bijli, paani, swasthya, shiksha, door step delivery of the government services, tirth yatra yojana etc.*
Further to the narrative of “freebies” that supposedly won the election for AAP, here are some facts.
1) Subsidies form about 9.8 % of the Union Budget (at the lowest estimate). They form 4% of the Delhi govt budget. Please judge who gives more freebies!
2) The fiscal deficit of the Delhi govt at 0.7% is among the lowest for all states. Please compare this with how fiscally responsible the union govt is!
3) The expenditure on free travel for women comes to Rs 140 crores a year. The Gujarat government just bought a private jet for the Chief Minister for Rs 191 crores. Guess where their priorities and subsidies go!
4) The Patel statue cost Rs 2990 crores (and is already cracking in some places). Add copycat projects like Chandrayaan and the PM’s “howdy Modi” trips which are all “subsidised” by me and you, not by the BJP. Guess these are freebies for him!
@S R Deshpande You have given the evidence of AAP achievements which help the common man. That explains why despite the BJP strong hold of its seat of power, namely Delhi, AAP won. Looking from a distance, outside India and seeing how BJP and Congress messed up India in various ways: Congress in is decades of power and BJP in its short stay in power, as power corrupts absolutely, the AAP win should be seen in this light. Just as Congress got decimated, BJP too will get its comeuppance in the coming years.