Arvind Kejriwal accepts defeat, says AAP to play role of 'constructive' opposition
Arvind Kejriwal said AAP will play the role of a constructive opposition and will continue to serve the people of Delhi.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal has accepted defeat in the Delhi assembly election.
"We accept the mandate of the people with great humility. I congratulate the BJP for this victory and I hope they will fulfil all the promises for which people have voted for them," Arvind Kejriwal said in a video message.
Arvind Kejriwal said AAP will play the role of a constructive opposition and will continue to serve the people of Delhi.
"We have done a lot of work in the field of health, education, and infrastructure in the last 10 years. We will not only play the role of a constructive opposition but will also remain among the people and continue to serve them," he added.
The BJP has won 12 seats and is leading in 38. The Aam Aadmi Party has won 10 seats and is leading in another 10. The Congress appears to have failed to open its account yet again.
Arvind Kejriwal lost the election in the New Delhi constituency. BJP's Parvesh Verma defeated the Aam Aadmi Party chief by 4089 votes.
While Verma polled 30088 votes, the former Delhi chief minister got 25999 votes. Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit received 4568 votes.
Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party first formed a 49-day government after the 2013 assembly election in alliance with the Congress. The party stormed to power in 2015 winning 67 of the union territory's 70 seats. The party repeated its performance in 2020 as it bagged 62 seats. However, its performance in the Lok Sabha polls in the national capital remained dismal – it has never won a parliamentary seat in Delhi.
Also read: Manish Sisodia concedes defeat in Delhi's Jangpura: ‘I lost by 600 votes’
Over the past few years, several AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, have been accused of corruption. Kejriwal, Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and Satyendar Jain were jailed for months and are out on bail.
Modi reacts to Delhi results
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted to the BJP's win, saying it was the victory of development and good governance.
"Jana Shakti is paramount! Development wins, good governance triumphs. I bow to my dear sisters and brothers of Delhi for this resounding and historic mandate to BJP. We are humbled and honoured to receive these blessings. It is our guarantee that we will leave no stone unturned in developing Delhi, improving the overall quality of life for the people and ensuring that Delhi has a prime role to play in building a Viksit Bharat," he wrote on X.
