The Aam Aadmi Party on Wednesday won 134 out of 250 wards in the elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.
The Bharatiya Janata Party, which had ruled the civic body for the last 15 years, finished second with 104 seats, according to the Election Commission. The majority mark was 126.
The Congress, with nine seats, finished third. Three Independent candidates also won.
In terms of vote share, the Aam Aadmi Party received 42.05% while the BJP got 39.09%. In 2017, the BJP and the AAP won vote shares of 36.08% and 26.23% respectively.
This was the first time that civic elections were held in the National Capital since the North Delhi Municipal Corporation, South Delhi Municipal Corporation and East Delhi Municipal Corporation were merged in May.
Polling was held in 250 wards across the national capital on December 4, during which a voter turnout of 50.47% was recorded.
On Wednesday, after the results became clear, Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal thanked the residents of the city for their support.
“At first, people gave us the responsibility of fixing schools and hospitals, and we did that,” Kejriwal said. “Now, Delhi has given its son the responsibility to ensure cleanliness...I will be indebted to the people of Delhi.”
Kejriwal also congratulated the winning candidates, including those from the BJP and Congress.
“Politics is now over,” he said. “We have to improve the condition of Delhi and we need cooperation from the BJP and the Congress. We also seek the blessings of Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that the Aam Aadmi Party defeated the biggest and “most negative” party in Delhi – in a reference to the BJP.
“Heartfelt gratitude to the people of Delhi for trusting the Aam Aadmi Party,” Sisodia wrote in a tweet. “For us, this is not only a victory but a big responsibility.”
However, BJP leader Amit Malviya suggested that the election for the mayor’s post remained an open contest.
“It will all depend on who can hold the numbers in a close contest, which way the nominated councillors vote etc,” he said on Twitter. “Chandigarh has a BJP Mayor, for instance.”
In January, the BJP’s Sarabjit Kaur was elected as the mayor of the Chandigarh Municipal Corporation even though the AAP won the most number of seats in the civic body’s General House.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!