Winning candidates thank Modi, say will fulfil pre-poll pledges

Newly elected Delhi MPs meet at BJP office after party's clean sweep of all 7 Lok Sabha seats in the national Capital, crediting PM Modi for victory.

The newly elected Members of Parliament (MPs) from Delhi meet at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Delhi office on Wednesday, a day after the party swept all seven Lok Sabha seats in national Capital, extending its sway over parliamentary constituencies in the national Capital for the third consecutive term.

BJP candidate from New Delhi constituency Bansuri Swaraj (left) and the party’s North East Delhi pick Manoj Tiwari (right) at a press conference on Wednesday. (Sanjeev Verma/HT photo)

The BJP has not lost a single Lok Sabha seats since 2014.

The MPs credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for their victory and said that they will soon start work to develop their constituencies. Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva, who was also present on the occasion, said for the first time since 1952 any party has managed to make a clean sweep in Delhi for the third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha polls.

The Delhi unit of the party felicitated the seven new MPs at the party office. Significantly, the BJP’s hat-trick comes months before the Delhi assembly elections which are likely to be held early next year. Sachdeva said that the BJP will win assembly election as well.

South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, who served as the leader of the opposition in the Delhi assembly, thanked the people of South Delhi for reposing faith in the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, and giving all seven seats to the BJP. “I will work to change the face of South Delhi, from the villages to the unauthorised colonies to the middle-class colonies, and the upscale colonies. I will try my best to fix the issues facing the residents in my Lok Sabha constituency. Fixing shortage of drinking water in several areas is among my first priorities. Several areas in South Delhi are not getting clean drinking water at the peak of summer due to the failure of the AAP government,” said Bidhuri.

Bidhuri also said that he will work to ensure regularisation of colonies that have come up as extensions of the rural areas under his constituency. “I will also work to ensure that the Metro network is expanded to areas where the transit mode has not reached yet,” said Bidhuri.

Chandni Chowk MP Praveen Khandelwal said he will launch “Aap Ka Sansad, Aapke Dwar” drive under which he will visit and meet people in all 30 wards under his constituency on dedicated days throughout the month. “I will work with the aim of ensuring BJP’s win in all 10 assembly seats under the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency in the assembly polls next year,” said Khandelwal.

New Delhi BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj, who is the daughter of late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, said her victory is a symbol of “unfathomable trust” that people have in Prime Minister Modi.

“All the newly elected seven MPs from Delhi are committed to implement Modi’s dream of Viksit Bharat. The road map of work to be done in the next 100 days is ready. I promise to come up with a portal and mobile app for government employees living in New Delhi to register their problems and to develop a start up hub in New Delhi constituency in the 100 days,” Bansuri said.

East Delhi MP Harsh Malhotra said construction of homes in place of 4,000 shanties in Kalandar Colony in Dilshad Garden will begin soon. “The work on in-situ development of slums in East Delhi will begin soon. I have long list of development work to be undertaken in East Delhi,” said Malhotra.

Sachdeva said that party workers worked hard for the Lok Sabha polls, and soon they begin preparing for the Delhi assembly elections. “Now, ensuring BJP’s victory in the Delhi Assembly polls next year is our target,” said Sachdeva.

Other MPs also said that they will soon begin development work in their respective areas, and will address the problems of the people by making necessary interventions, staying accessible to the people. .

The BJP win was particularly impressive as it came despite an alliance by the AAP and the Congress. It was for the first time that the BJP was in a direct contest with the AAP in four and the Congress in three seats -- as opposed to the triangular contest it had faced since 2014. The party received a vote share of 54.34% compared to 56.85% in 2019, the vote share of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was 21.16 and that of the Congress was 18.92%, according to Election Commission data. In 2019, AAP secured 18.2% vote share and the Congress got 22.63% of the votes.