It's a double-engine government in Delhi as the Aam Aadmi Party overthrew the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections. The AAP won 134 wards, as per the data of the Election Commission.

The BJP has won 104 wards and the Congress is a distant third with a win in nine wards and Independents in three.

Contrary to the exit polls that predicted a clean sweep by the Arvind Kejriwal party, the saffron party restricted the former below 150 in the contest for 250 wards. The BJP, facing anti-incumbency, did not fare as badly as expected and has grabbed the three-digit figure.

The election was seen as a personality battle between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, which has also revealed that Delhiites have put their faith in the AAP national convener when it comes to politics at the city level. But one should not forget that Delhi witnessed only 50 percent voter turnout, with the urban class missing at the polling booths.

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It was the lower class and the lower middle class, which struggled for basic facilities of water supply and sanitation, that exercised their franchises. "The voter base of AAP in these classes remains intact even after nine years of rule in the national capital," pointed out K. Ve Prasad, a political analyst.

The public was not entertained by the constant tussle between the Lieutenant Governor and the Delhi government and has supported the 'Kattar Imandaar' image of the AAP.

The BJP campaigned in the national capital with its full might and roped in Union Ministers, MPs, chief ministers, and local leaders. "Every election for the BJP is a do-or-die battle. Their campaigning, electioneering, use of social media, micro-messaging, and voter targeting do not give space to any other party. The party takes every election seriously," says Sumit Pande, a senior journalist with Deccan Herald.

Also read | Full list of winners in MCD elections

The BJP fought these polls in the name of Modi alone, highlighting that the party lacked a local leader. With the change in Delhi's demography in the late 90s, the BJP could not fill in the gap for a leader giving an advantage to Congress at that time. Former chief minister Sheila Dikshit governed the national capital for 15 years before Kejriwal snatched power.

The AAP has, in a way, filled the gap of being an alternative to the BJP, decimating the Congress.

Congress was reduced to a single-digit figure this time. "The Congress was never serious about these elections. They have their internal issues to deal with before emerging as a united party," both analysts opined.

The high-stakes election to the 250 wards of the MCD was held on December 4, sealing the electoral fate of 1,349 candidates in voting machines. A voter turnout of 50.48 percent was registered in the elections.

In the 2017 civic election, the BJP won 181 of the 270 wards. The AAP had won 48 wards and the Congress 27. Polling could not be held on two seats then due to the death of candidates. In May this year, the South, North, and East MCD were unified, thus reducing the number of wards from 270 to 250.

First Published:Dec 7, 2022 2:23 PM IST