Delhi Govt Formation Highlights: Kejriwal to meet CM Mann, Punjab AAP MLAs on Tuesday; BJP continues discussions on names for CM post

1. Arvind Kejriwal and senior AAP leaders, including Manish Sisodia, Somnath Bharti, and Saurabh Bharadwaj, lost in 13 constituencies where Congress votes exceeded BJP’s winning margins.

2. Kejriwal lost by 4,009 votes in New Delhi; Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit got 4,568 votes.

3. Other affected constituencies include Jangpura, Greater Kailash, Malviya Nagar, and Rajinder Nagar.

4. AAP’s internal issues and Congress votes played a critical role in BJP's victories across these seats.

Senior AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj, following his loss to BJP’s Shikha Roy, said: “I want to thank all the supporters, volunteers and donors of Aam Aadmi Party and tell them not to be afraid, not to be disappointed. Big battles are won when small ones are lost.”

He added, “I think as an MLA, we did whatever we could for our people and we will analyse the result. I do not understand this result because all the reporters who had come to my area, all the common people told that our graph was very high. The approval rating was very high. Even the staunch supporters of BJP used to say that we will win the elections this time, but it is not appropriate to comment at this time...”

The Aam Aadmi Party faced a severe defeat in Delhi’s assembly elections, prompting criticism from INDIA alliance leaders. They argued that had AAP and Congress contested together, BJP would have lost. Rohit Pawar blamed ego and arrogance for the division, claiming a united front could have limited BJP to fewer seats. Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut echoed this view, adding allegations of voter list irregularities and citing leadership challenges as factors in AAP's downfall. Despite the alliance, AAP and Congress fought separately in Delhi.

Congratulating the BJP leaders and workers over the BJP’s victory in Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that it is a triumph of development and good governance. “Development wins, good governance triumphs. I bow to my dear sisters and brothers of Delhi for this resounding and historic mandate to @BJP4India. We are humbled and honoured to receive these blessings. It is our guarantee that we will leave no stone unturned in developing Delhi, improving the overall quality of life for the people and ensuring that Delhi has a prime role to play in building a Viksit Bharat,” PM Modi wrote on social media platform X.

As the BJP won an overwhelming majority, AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, while reflecting on the loss, said that the party will be playing the role of a constructive Opposition.

In Deoli, Prem Chauhan of AAP is leading Lok Jan Sakti Party’s Deepak Tanvar by 32,119 votes after 18 rounds of counting. In Chattarpur, Kartar Singh Tanvar from BJP is leading by 4,275 votes after Round 21 against Brahm Singh Tanwar from AAP. Satish Upadhyay from BJP is leading in Malviya Nagar by 1,971 after 14 rounds against Somnath Bharti.

In another big setback for AAP, MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj, contesting against BJP’s Shikha Roy, lost by a margin of over 3,000 votes.

In Rajouri Garden, Manjinder Singh Sirsa of the Bharatiya Janata Party achieved a decisive victory, securing 64,132 votes with an impressive gain of 18,190 votes. Meanwhile, A Dhanwati Chandela A from the Aam Aadmi Party faced a loss, receiving 45,942 votes, which marked a decrease of 18,190 votes. Additionally, Dharam Pal Chandela from the Indian National Congress significantly trailed behind, garnering only 3,198 votes, reflecting a substantial loss of 60,934 votes.

After trailing from the Kalkaji seat for a long time, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi is back leading, although by a margin of just over 900 votes.

As counting trends indicated a strong BJP victory in Delhi after more than 26 years, jubilant supporters gathered outside the party headquarters to celebrate. Waving flags and dancing to the beat of drums, the crowd smeared saffron powder on each other, symbolizing the party's success. Among the revelers was a man dressed as Aamir Khan's character from the film "PK," who humorously declared, "The broom is gone, and the lotus has bloomed," referencing BJP's victory over AAP. The scene was marked by festivity and optimism for the party's future.

The Delhi elections are becoming a big setback for AAP as top leaders, including supremo Arvind Kejriwal and sitting minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, continue to trail. Kejriwal trails by 1,170 votes from New Delhi constituency after briefly taking the lead over his BJP rival Parvesh Verma.

Bharadwaj, meanwhile, trails BJP’s Shikha Roy by 1,066 votes from the Greater Kailash seat.

Reacting to the Delhi Assembly election results, social activist Anna Hazare, with whom AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was associated during numerous anti-corruption campaigns, said: “I have been saying for a long that while contesting the election, a candidate must have a character, good ideas and have no dent on their image. But, they (AAP) didn’t understand it. They got tangled in liquor and money — his (Arvind Kejriwal) image was dented because of it and that’s why they are getting fewer votes in the election.”

He added: “People saw that he (Arvind Kejriwal) talks about character but gets involved in liquor... In politics, allegations are made. One has to prove that he is not guilty. The truth will remain truth. When a meeting was held, I decided that I would not be part of the party and I have remained away from that day...”

As early results in the Delhi Assembly elections suggested a strong showing for the BJP, Omar Abdullah, Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, took a subtle swipe at his INDIA alliance partners. He highlighted the ongoing rift between the AAP and Congress, which ran separately in the Delhi elections, a decision that may have bolstered the BJP’s performance. Abdullah shared a GIF on X, remarking on the internal discord within the alliance. He reiterated concerns over the lack of unity and the need for collective efforts beyond just parliamentary elections.

AAP has narrowed the gap with BJP with the former leading in 26 seats and the latter in 44, according to the Election Commission of India.

AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal is trailing from the New Delhi seat again as Parvesh Verma extends his lead.

As Chief Minister Atishi was trailing BJP rival Ramesh Bidhuri by 1,149 votes from Kalkaji seat, the latter said that AAP would be “eliminated” from Delhi. “The people will give the BJP a decisive mandate. Under PM Narendra Modi's leadership, Delhi will progress along with the rest of the country. I can confidently say that the AAP will be eliminated from the national capital,” he said.

All trends are out and the BJP are slated for a comeback to Delhi after 27 years. The saffron party leads in 42 seats, compared to 28 for AAP.

On the two seats contested by AIMIM in Delhi, it was advantage BJP as per early trends. In Okhla, BJP’s Manish Chaudhary was leading AAP’s Amanatullah Khan by 2,260 votes. AIMIM’s Shifa-ur-Rehman Khan got 359 votes, while Congress’s Ariba Khan had 475 votes.

In Mustafabad, BJP’s Mohan Singh Bisht was leading AAP’s Adeel Ahmad Khan by a sizeable margin of 16,181 votes. AIMIM’s Tahir Hussain had managed to get just 119 votes, while Congress’s Ali Mehdi had got 722 votes.

After trailing for the longest time, Arvind Kejriwal is finally leading from the New Delhi seat, according to early trends. He is up against BJP’s Pervesh Verma and is leading by a slender margin of just 254 votes.

1. BJP’s Kapil Mishra leads by 3,109 votes in Karawal Nagar

2. BJP’s Tilak Ram Gupta leads in Tri Nagar by 3,373 votes.

3. BJP’s Sanjay Goel (Shahdara), Chandan Chaudhary (Sangam Vihar), and Bajrang Shukla (Kirari) are also leading.

4. AAP’s Gopal Rai (Babarpur) and Durgesh Pathak (Rajinder Nagar) are ahead.

5. Delhi Chief Minister Atishi is also trailing in Kalkaji.

BJP’s Kapil Mishra is leading in Karawal Nagar constituency by 6,470 votes after 2 rounds of voting.

AAP’s Durgesh Pathak is leading with 4,553 votes from Rajinder Nagar.

As initial trends come in, AAP’s Gopal Rai is currently leading in Babarpur Assembly constituency. He is up against BJP’s Anil Kumar Vashisht and Congress’s Mohd. Ishraq Khan.

The BJP continues to extend its lead, now pegged at 43 seats while AAP lags behind at 26. The Congress barely holds on with a lead in 1 seat.

1. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, contesting against BJP’s Parvesh Verma in New Delhi, is trailing.

2. In Kalkaji, Chief Minister Atishi is trailing behind BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri.

3. Former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia is trailing in Jangpura.

4. BJP’s Kapil Mishra is leading in Karawal Nagar.

5. AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj is ahead in the Greater Kailash seat.

While AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal is trailing behind BJP’s Parvesh Sahib Singh in the first round, sitting MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj is leading currently. These are, however, after counting of postal ballots.

BJP’s sitting MLA OP Sharma is currently leading in East Delhi’s Vishwas Nagar constituency.

The BJP has taken an early lead in 6 seats in Delhi while the AAP leads in 4 and the Congress in 1. However, it is to be kept in mind that these are just leads on the basis of postal ballots that are being counted first.

The counting of votes has kicked off for the Delhi Assembly elections as the BJP aims to wrest the national capital from the AAP, which is aiming for a hat-trick.

Ahead of the counting of votes, AAP candidate from Greater Kailash seat Saurabh Bharadwaj looked confident of a hat-trick for AAP. “Every attempt was made to remove AAP from government but the public's blessings are with the AAP. I believe that the public is going to make Arvind Kejriwal the CM for the fourth time. In a few days, he will take oath as the CM. We are getting information from different areas that AAP will get a comfortable majority and make government... AAP will get minimum 40-45 seats,” he said.

The Election Commission (EC) has deployed over 5,000 staff members for counting the votes of the Delhi Assembly elections scheduled for February 8. The counting will be conducted at 27 centers across the city, and no repolling is required in any constituency. Adequate security measures, including paramilitary forces, will be in place to ensure a smooth process. The election saw no major glitches, with EVMs and VVPATs functioning efficiently across polling booths.

Across India, women have become a crucial voter base, capable of tipping the scales in tight elections. In Delhi, where 72.36 lakh women are eligible to vote, political parties have gone all out to win their favour. The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is offering a monthly financial assistance of Rs 2,100 to non-tax-paying women, while the BJP and Congress have countered with Rs 2,500 per month promises. Women were key to AAP’s victories in both 2015 and 2020, with the party securing an increasing share of their support.

In the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, AAP won 60% of the female vote compared to BJP’s 35%, according to Lokniti-CSDS data. The AAP hopes to retain this backing, leveraging policies like free public transport for women and financial aid, both of which helped deliver past victories. Meanwhile, BJP is focusing on women-centric schemes like subsidized LPG cylinders and pension improvements.

As voter turnout trends decline, women’s engagement remains a deciding factor, especially for AAP, which has traditionally relied on their support to secure its political foothold. The BJP’s new pro-women promises, however, could pose a significant challenge.

Delhi’s political landscape has seen major shifts over the past decade. AAP emerged as a formidable force in 2013 by ending the Congress’s 15-year rule and forming a short-lived 49-day government, with outside support from Congress. In the 2015 Assembly elections, AAP achieved a landslide victory, securing 67 of 70 seats. The BJP, which had 32 seats in 2013, dramatically fell to four in 2015. In 2020, AAP maintained dominance with 62 seats, while the BJP marginally improved to eight seats. Congress, meanwhile, failed to win any seats in both 2015 and 2020.

From Narela to Karawal Nagar, voting across the 70 Assembly constituencies in Delhi revealed the varying issues, concerns, and priorities that shape voters’ decisions in the capital. With the Delhi Assembly Elections looming, understanding local grievances — ranging from civic problems to political representation — provides a window into the mood of the electorate across different areas.

1. Education and Development: Education and local development have emerged as pivotal issues in multiple constituencies. Voters are concerned about school facilities, access to healthcare, and improvements in local infrastructure like roads and public transport. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s work on education reforms and healthcare has influenced voters in certain areas, although not uniformly across the city.

2. Inflation and Civic Concerns: Rising inflation and inadequate civic amenities such as water supply, waste management, and pollution are primary concerns for many Delhiites. In constituencies like Karawal Nagar, voters expressed frustration over uncollected garbage and irregular water supplies. In other regions, like Narela, the challenge of daily commuting and traffic congestion is a pressing issue.

3. Local Development: In areas like Karawal Nagar, people focus heavily on local issues, such as the condition of roads, connectivity, and local governance. Voters expressed that promises made during previous elections regarding development are yet to materialize, leading to frustration among the electorate.

4. Political Representation: The article reflects on the connection voters feel with their candidates. Constituencies where candidates engage directly with local issues see more active voter interest. The role of political representation, local accessibility, and addressing community-specific concerns significantly influences the voting decisions in many parts of the city.

Good morning and welcome to our Live Blog covering the Delhi Election results. With the counting of votes to begin soon, keep following this space as we bring to you the latest news and updates from the ground, besides analysis of where things stand at every moment.