In a major blow to the ruling Aam Admi Party (AAP), the party suffered an absolute defeat in the by-election facilitated after its sitting MLA resigned. Teaching a lesson to the ruling AAP, the people of Rajouri Garden Assembly constituency have voted against the party in the recently held by-election. This is not all. The incumbent AAP lost its deposit and finished to the third spot while BJP and Congress secured first and second subsequently.
BJP-SAD combine’s candidate Manjinder Singh Sirsa bagged 40,602 seats, i.e over 50 per cent of the total votes polled. While Congress’ candidate Meenakshi Chandela got 25,950 votes i.e 38.3 per cent of the polled votes while AAP got just 10,243 votes which is 10 per cent of the total polled votes. This is a huge set back to AAP as it fallen from 47 per cent (in last election) to 10 per cent in the same constituency.
With this, the BJP’s tally in the 70-member Delhi Assembly will become four. The Congress does not have any presence in the House. While the defeat of AAP is expected, what’s surprising are – AAP losing its deposit and Congress rising from 12 per cent to 38.3 per cent.
AAP’s Jarnail Singh quit as MLA to contest the Punjab Assembly poll against SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal. AAP has fielded Harjeet Singh in replacement of Jarnail Singh in the by-poll. In the 2015 Delhi Legislative Assembly election, AAP won 67 of the 70 seats in the assembly creating a record victory. With AAP mired in several allegations and is in the news for wrong reasons, the lose of a seat in by-poll seems to be a change of mood in Delhi voters.
As Delhi is bracing up for April 23 municipal polls, this victory of BJP and rise of Congress is reviving hopes for them. On other hand, AAP defended the result stating that people of the Rajouri Garden Assembly are annoyed with their MLA Jarnail Singh’s decision to quit the post.