New Delhi: The BJP’s humiliation was complete as its chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi lost by over 2,200 votes to AAP’s S.K. Bagga, a political lighweight, from Krishna Nagar constituency, that the party had been winning for over two decades. The writing was on the wall as the BJP began trailing in its ultimate bastion, Moti Nagar in West Delhi.
Exactly a year after he resigned from CM’s post, Arvind Kejriwal is all set to be sworn in for the second time at the Ramlila Maidan on February 14. Mr Kejriwal, who was formally elected the leader of the AAP legislature party at a meeting on Tuesday, called on lieutenant-governor Najeeb Jung in the evening. On Wednesday, Mr Kejirwal will meet home minister Rajnath Singh, and he has sought an appointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In a tweet on Tuesday, the PM said he had called Mr Kejriwal to congratulate him and to promise full cooperation by the Centre to the incoming Delhi government.
Mr Kejriwal has, incidentally, now been provided with Z-plus security.
Proving all political pundits wrong, the AAP’s so-called “muffler man” transcended class and religion, with not only the middle class returning to back him, but also picking up the support of a considerable section of elite voters. The AAP recorded the largest-ever voteshare — 54 per cent — in the country’s electoral history. Riding the Modi wave during the Lok Sabha polls, the BJP had got a little over 30 per cent voteshare.
This stunning electoral victory, which goes far beyond the AAP’s wildest hopes, could be the first sign of a probable change in India’s political dynamics. Voters — urban and rurban— are no longer willing to tolerate empty promises and showmanship.
Mr Modi’s conquest of one state after another, decimating the Opposition, was finally halted by the man he described as an “anarchist”, and on whom the top saffron leadership heaped insult after insult. They called him “bandar”; “chor”; “bhagoda” and “badnaseeb”; but to no avail.
With Mr Modi as its commander-in-chief and Ms Kiran Bedi as its face, the BJP had launched a propganada blitz never before seen in the history of Delhi elections. It pressed in 120 MPs and over half the Union Cabinet. Finance minister Arun Jaitley and BJP president Amit Shah were the architects of this hard and bitterly-fought battle for Delhi.
