New Delhi: Just days ahead of crucial civic elections in Delhi, the BJP scored a massive win in Rajouri assembly by-poll on Thursday by defeating its nearest rival Congress by over 14,000 votes.
Importantly, Arvind Kejriwal's ruling AAP came a distant third in the Rajouri assembly by-poll.
The Rajouri Garden assembly by-poll result has not only given a big thumbs up to PM Narendra Modi-led BJP government's demonetisation decision, it has also clearly failed AAP's ''target Modi'' campaign in the national capital.
After its electoral drubbing in Goa and Punjab assembly elections, Kejriwal's party was keeping high hopes of winning the Rajouri seat, however, it suffered a big blow here.
The result of the Rajouri by-poll, which is being seen as a precursor to the MCD polls scheduled for April 23, came as a big blow for AAP which could only get 10,000 votes securing a distant third position.
The AAP candidate secured only 14% the votes polled and lost deposit.
BJP’s winning candidate Majinder Singh Sirsa said the results showed that people had rejected AAP.
“This is the end of AAP-led government in Delhi,” Sirsa said.
Meanwhile, expressing confidence after Manjinder Singh Sirsa won the Rajouri Garden Assembly by-poll by over 14,500 votes, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said that the party will win a clear majority in MCD Elections 2017 and will secure 220 seats in Delhi civic polls.
Interestingly, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had won the seat in 2015 but finished at the third spot this time.
The Rajouri Garden seat belonged to the Aam Aadmi Party after the party’s massive victory in the Delhi Assembly Elections 2015.
Jarnail Singh had won the seat over Sirsa by over 10,000 votes in 2015. However, last year, Jarnail Singh left the constituency to fight the Punjab Assembly elections earlier this year leaving it vacant.
The AAP decided to field him from the Lambi seat in Punjab but he lost not just the seat, but his deposit too, as he could not garner one-sixth of the votes polled at the Lambi seat.
Following the defeat in Punjab Assembly Polls, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP chose to field a fresh face instead of Jarnail Singh.
As the results started pouring in for the by-elections, BJP came out as a clear winner in the by-polls for the seats that had remained vacant.
Losing Rajouri Garden could be a huge setback for Aam Aadmi Party as it had held that seat earlier.
In a short period of time, the people of Rajouri have made it clear that AAP is no longer their favourite, instead it's BJP now.
It might also affect AAP’s chances in the upcoming MCD Elections 2017.
While the MCD Elections would be a litmus test for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) as it will be contesting in the Delhi municipal corporation elections for the first time, it would be a case of saving prestige for BJP which has held control over the MCD for 10 years.
Though losing the Rajouri Garden seat won’t change much of political landscape for AAP in Delhi as the party swiped a total of 67 out of 70 seats in Delhi assembly polls, it definitely is a big blow as it has already lost in Goa and Punjab assembly polls.
A pertinent question that now arises is if AAP will be able to wrest control of municipal corporations in Delhi from BJP after its loss in Rajouri assembly by-poll.
