Even as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) hailed a landslide victory in the national capital and the leadership of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffered humiliating defeats, Chief Minister Atishi held his seat in south Delhi’s Kalkaji area. The 43-year-old leader had won the seat in 2020, where he would face former BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress’ Alka Lamba.
Ms. Atishi, an alumnus of Oxford University and Rhodes scholar, had earlier worked extensively on AAP’s flagship initiative meant to improve education in Delhi schools prior to assuming the top position. Atishi became Chief Minister when Arvind Kejriwal, the AAP leader, resigned after being granted bail in a corruption case related to Delhi’s now-defunct liquor policy.
As long as Mr Kejriwal and his deputy, Manish Sisodia, were imprisoned, Atishi explained the party’s position at party gatherings and through media interviews. With AAP’s main leaders, Mr Kejriwal and Mr Sisodia, losing the election today, Ms Atishi is set to play an important role in the Assembly.
The BJP looks to seal an all-round victory in the national capital as five hours have gone by in the counting of votes. It is currently leading in 47 seats, while the AAP’s score is 23. The Congress has drawn a blank, completing a hat-trick of ducks since 2015.
Earlier, Ms Atishi had also said she was confident AAP would win the election in Delgi. She had dismissed exit polls, which have predicted a victory for the BJP, as a part of some conspiracy to demoralize the AAP workers.
This was a tough fight for Ms Atishi. While the BJP’s former MP Ramesh Bidhuri had gone all out to score a win, Congress’s Alka Lamba was expected to divide Opposition votes and hurt AAP’s prospects. As Chief Minister, Ms Atishi also needed to focus on the AAP’s campaign in other constituencies. This left her with limited time to focus on Kalkaji. But she has managed a victory despite the odds.
