The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has won 58 seats and BJP seven out of a total of 70 assembly seats at stake in the city-state where the polling was held on February 8. As per the counting, being held at 21 places today, the AAP is leading on four seats and the BJP on one.
The Congress is nowhere in the reckoning.
AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has won from New Delhi assembly seat. He polled 46,758 votes, which is 61.1 per cent of total votes polled in the high profile constituency.
Kejriwal defeated Sunil Kumar Yadav of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who polled 25,061 votes, which is 32.75 per cent of total votes polled. Congress candidate Romesh Sabhawarl could get only 3,220 votes.
As per the details on the website of Election Commission of India at 8.52 pm, the AAP has secured 53.58 per cent votes, BJP 38.50 per cent, BSP 0.71 per cent, CPI 0.02 per cent, CPI-M 0.01 per cent, Congress 4.27 per cent, JDU 0.90 per cent, LJP 0.35 per cent, NCP 0.02 per cent, and NOTA 0.46 per cent.
The Chief Minister, who was accomped by his wife Sunita Kejriwal, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh and newly-elected MLA Raghav Chaddha, said, "I thank all the citizens of Delhi and all our party workers. Our party workers continued to work throughout day and night. My family also supported me through this electoral battle. Today is also the birthday of my wife."
Congratulations poured in for Kejriwal from political leaders across the country. Among those who congratulated him were Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari also congratulated Kejriwal and expressed gratitude towards the BJP party workers for their hard work in the run-up to the polls.
"I thank the people of Delhi. I thank our party workers for their hard work. They have done a lot. I accept the mandate of the people of Delhi and congratulate Arvind Kejriwal. I hope that he will perform well as per the expectations of the people."
He said the party will evaluate the outcome and the party cadres should not feel disheartened over the performance.
Congress leader P Chidambaram said the people of Delhi have defeated "the dangerous agenda of BJP."
"AAP won, bluff and bluster lost. The people of Delhi, who are from all parts of India, have defeated the polarising, divisive and dangerous agenda of the BJP. I salute the people of Delhi who have set an example to other states that will hold their elections in 2021 and 2022," Chidambaram said in a tweet.
Celebrations began at the AAP office soon after it became clear that the party was headed for a big victory. Party workers were seen dancing to drum beats. Bigwigs of the party won the polls. Party leader Amanatullah Khan was leading from Okhla, the constituency which includes Shaheen Bagh, by over 64,000 votes.
The counting of votes for the hard and bitterly-fought Delhi Assembly began amid tight security at 8 am today. Delhi had gone to polls on February 8.
Unlike AAP, the BJP had not projected a chief ministerial candidate and sought votes to strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While Modi held two rallies, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP chief JP Nadda held several rallies in the city. AAP sought votes for the development work it had done in the city in the past five years.
AAP government's efforts to improve government schools apparently touched the lives of the poor people in the city. It also started populist schemes including free travel for women and exemptions in electricity and water bills on stipulated consumption.
The city had witnessed violence during the anti-CAA stir with buses burnt. The police had also entered the Jamia campus. There were two incidents of firing in the run-up to elections even as anti-CAA protests continued.
JNU students had also held protests over campus violence and hike in fees.
The results were disappointing for the Congress which ruled the city for 15 years before the advent of AAP. The party had performed better than AAP in the Lok Sabha polls last year.
( With inputs from ANI )