NE NEWS SERVICE
NEW DELHI, FEB 11
Arvind Kejriwal is set to return as Chief Minister as his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) obtained an unassailable lead over the BJP as the counting of votes progressed today, but remained short of the 67 it won in 2015. While Mr Kejriwal has a comfortable lead in the New Delhi seat by over 10000 votes, his deputy Manish Sisodia is facing a tough fight in Patparganj. The Congress has failed to open an account yet again with all its heavyweights, including Alka Lamba and Arvinder Singh Lovely trailing.
Although AAP is leading in 58 seats, the Delhi-based party is trailing in at least 20 seats it had won in the 2015 elections. The BJP, which ran a high-voltage campaign for the February 8 election, is expected to win 12 seats, a gain of nine seats from its tally in the 2015 polls.
Among the heavyweights leading in various constituencies are AAP’s Rakhi Birla, Ragav Chaddha, Satyender Jain, and Kapil MIsrawho changed camp from AAP to the BJP.
Exit polls have predicted another term for Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, the BJP, which powered its campaign on the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests at Shaheen Bagh, is likely to put up a good show.
The campaign for the Delhi Election 2020 has been bitter and polarised, the political discourse bogged down by threatening slogans and foul language.
The ruling AAP has sought to retain power on the work done in the field of education, health, and in providing cheap electricity and water, while the main opposition BJP conducted a massive campaign, roping in most of its 70 union ministers, 270 MPs and leaders and Chief Ministers from various states, to deliver its campaign message on anti-CAA protests and nationalism.
Delhi election 2020 was held on Saturday, with 62.59 per cent of the city’s voters coming out to exercise their democratic right. The voter turnout in the previous assembly election in 2015 stood at 67.5 per cent.
Exit polls released after the conclusion of voting predicted as many as 56 of the 70 assembly seats for AAP, leaving 14 for the BJP and zero for the Congress.
