By rejecting the Congress in the MCD elections, the results of which were declared Tuesday, Delhi’s voters have given a kind of reality check to the party that rules both at the Centre and in the national capital territory. It is believed the BJP won by default as people were angry with the Congress for its perceived role in corruption cases and rising prices.
The BJP had no prominent face leading it in these elections, in contrast to Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit who led the Congress campaign, and also faced major infighting in its ranks, but still managed to retain all three segments of the recently-trifurcated MCD, winning 138 of 272 seats. While the Congress managed to improve its tally by 14 seats, it stopped at 78. The small parties and Independents won 56 seats.
The BJP lost 26 seats that it won in the last MCD polls, many of these now going to the smaller parties and Independents.
BJP president Nitin Gadkari, thanking party workers, said it was a vote against the city’s Congress government.
“We see this as a referendum on city government. The national capital is setting the mood of the nat-ion,” he said, adding: “Peo-ple chose us and rejected the corrupt government.”
Congress leaders kept silent, but are a bit worried as Delhi will hold Assembly elections next year. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Tuesday that the “MCD elections are fought on local issues.... There are winners and losers in every election. One has to accept it in good grace.”