New Delhi: AAP leader and outgoing Delhi Chief Minister Atishi marked her electoral victory from the Kalkaji Assembly seat with a celebratory roadshow, dancing alongside her supporters and party members. She secured the seat with a narrow lead of 3,521 votes over BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri.
#WATCH | #DelhiElectionResults | AAP winning candidate from Kalkaji Vidhan Sabha and outgoing CM Atishi dances and celebrates her victory with the supporters and party workers. pic.twitter.com/nGbItW5nM7
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2025
As per the Election Commission data, Atishi received 52,154 votes, while Bidhuri garnered 48,633 votes. Congress’ Alka Lamba finished third with 4,392 votes. This win marks Atishi’s second consecutive term as the MLA from Kalkaji. After taking over as chief minister last year, Atishi left the chair of her predecessor and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal vacant in her office, symbolically reserving it for him. This gesture led to her being called a “temporary CM” by some.
Bidhuri’s remarks boost Atishi’s campaign
The electoral battle for Kalkaji was marked by heated exchanges, particularly over Bidhuri’s remarks regarding Atishi’s decision to change her surname from “Marlena” to “Singh.” His comments sparked controversy during the campaign. Reacting to Bidhuri’s statements, Atishi broke down during a press conference, accusing him of using personal attacks and “abusing” her elderly father to gain political mileage. The incident appears to have garnered her sympathy and contributed to her electoral success.
The BJP is set to return to power in Delhi after more than 26 years, winning 48 out of 70 seats in the Assembly elections. The AAP secured 22 seats, while the Congress failed to win a single seat for the third consecutive time. AAP’s Aaley Mohammad Iqbal won Matia Mahal with the highest margin of 42,724 votes, while BJP’s Chandan Kumar Choudhary secured Sangam Vihar by just 344 votes. The BJP’s vote share stood at 45.56 per cent, AAP at 43.57 per cent and Congress at 6.34 per cent.
BJP sweeps Delhi elections
In major upsets, BJP’s Parvesh Verma and Tarvinder Singh Marwah defeated AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia from New Delhi and Jangpura, respectively. Despite BJP’s sweep, AAP leaders Atishi, Gopal Rai, Mukesh Ahlawat and Imran Hussain retained their seats. The Congress, which ruled Delhi from 1998 to 2013, failed to make an impact, continuing its decline in the capital’s political landscape.
