Arvind Kejriwal lost his re-election campaign in New Delhi to former two-time BJP MP Parvesh Verma, whom the party had barred from running in last year’s Lok Sabha election.
Arvind Kejriwal l finished around 1,200 votes behind his rival
Mr Kejriwal finished around 1,200 votes behind his rival, with the Congress’ Sandeep Dikshit coming in third, a set of results that will reignite debate about the schism between the two parties – both members of the stuttering INDIA bloc – and whether an alliance would have allowed the AAP chief to retain his seat if not his government.
Meanwhile, ‘giant-slayer’ Mr Verma, a prospective future Chief Minister who will follow in his father’s footsteps, Sahib Singh Verm, is set to visit Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Table of Contents
Arvind Kejriwal has controlled the New Delhi seat since 2013, when he defeated Congress stalwart and then-chief minister Sheila Dikshit, ushering in the AAP’s decade-long rule in Delhi.
The AAP chief’s defeat, revealed minutes after his former deputy, Manish Sisodia, conceded his Janpgura fight, highlighted the magnitude of his party’s loss in this election.
Mr Kejriwal and the AAP, who are running for a third term, are facing a catastrophic defeat; by 1pm, the BJP had 48 of Delhi’s 70 Assembly seats, while the AAP had 22.
Instead, Mr Kejriwal’s loss is being seen as the ‘end’ of the AAP, especially given two of its three most prominent leaders – Mr Kejriwal and Mr Sisodia, both of whom were imprisoned for corruption in the city’s liquor excise policy – have lost, and a third, Chief Minister Atishi, is trailing.
you join our tazatimesnews Telegram Channel
you join our whatsapp channel
Next News Read – Superfoods for breakfast: Nutrient-dense foods to begin the day.
