NEW DELHI: BJP’s Tarvinder Singh Marwah on Sunday hit back at critics after defeating AAP’s Manish Sisodia in the Jangpura constituency, saying the people of Delhi have placed their trust in him despite attempts to tarnish his image.
“Manish Sisodia was the Deputy CM, yet he changed his seat because he did not serve the people there… The only thing that hurt me was that in every public meeting, they called me a ‘gunda.’ But the people have shown their trust in me, just as they have in PM Modi. Today, BJP has won with a two-thirds majority,” Marwah told PTI after his victory.
Marwah’s win was part of a sweeping BJP victory in Delhi, marking the end of AAP’s 10-year rule. The BJP secured 48 out of 70 seats, bringing the party back to power in the capital after 27 years. Sisodia lost to Marwah by a narrow margin of 675 votes, a significant blow to AAP as several of its key leaders, including former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, failed to retain their seats.
Kejriwal, who had held the New Delhi seat since 2013, lost to BJP’s Parvesh Verma by 4,089 votes. AAP’s Atishi managed to win in Kalkaji, but the party saw a drastic reduction in its seats compared to previous elections.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the BJP’s victory, calling it a rejection of AAP’s governance. “This is not an ordinary victory. The people of Delhi have driven out ‘AAP-da’. Delhi has been freed from the ‘AAP-da’. Today, development, vision, and trust have won,” Modi said while addressing party workers at the BJP headquarters.
Kejriwal, conceding defeat, congratulated the BJP and expressed hope that the new government would fulfil its promises. “We accept the mandate of the people with great humility. I congratulate the BJP for this victory and hope they will fulfil all the promises for which people have voted for them,” he said in a video message.
