After 54% voting in the capital, BJP jubilant, AAP circumspect

The municipal polls, which usually see lesser voter interest and a smaller scale of campaigning, hold immense significance in the city’s politics. For the incumbent BJP, winning would mean an affirmation of the ‘Modi wave’ and a resounding ‘yes’ from the public on its move to not field any sitting councillor this year.

For the AAP, which has lost the recent Punjab and Goa assembly polls, the municipal elections are crucial for survival and to reassure the public — and itself — that the party still holds sway in its bastion. The Congress, meanwhile, is looking at these elections for a revival in a state it ruled for 15 years before being decimated by the AAP in the 2015 assembly polls.

The AAP, which has repeatedly alleged that EVMs could not be trusted, maintained that stance on Sunday as well, with party leader Sanjay Singh saying, “Several instances of faulty EVMs have come to the fore. All our apprehensions have come true.”

Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari, on the other hand, remained confident, with party leaders sending out messages on WhatsApp soon after polling ended. Along with Tiwari, several MPs sent messages that read: “Delhi pradesh ke matdataon ko hardik dhanyawaad”.

Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken pointed to the relatively low voter turnout, especially in comparison with the 67 per cent in the 2015 assembly elections, and said it meant people were disenchanted “with Kejriwal in the state and Modi at the Centre”.

The voter turnout struck many as low, considering how the heated campaign saw several current and former union ministers hitting the streets.

Political sociologist Shiv Visvanathan explained, “There is a lot of alienation among voters about politics at the municipal level. The issues that define these elections are mostly garbage and a bit of education. People don’t get too excited about it every day. There were no big faces in the election, no major candidates.”

Sanjay Kumar, director, Centre For the Study of Developing Societies, however, took a different stance. “The turnout is opposite to what we have seen in other elections over the past few months. Be it assembly or municipal elections, the percentage has gone up as compared to the last time elections were held. The interest among voters was high but the error of scheduling polling on a Sunday, which many perceive as a holiday, meant that many did not come out to vote. Also, on a hot day, voting started at 8 am, as opposed to 7 am,” he said.