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Upbeat workers beat drums as BJP wins hands down
‘Referendum against Dikshit’
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Cong leaders give various reasons
Hope to function better now: Abbi
All wards in Walia’s constituency
go to BJP
Dikshit greets Delhi BJP chief
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Upbeat workers beat drums as BJP wins hands down
New Delhi, April 17 They were seen dancing in Shahdara, the first seat where the BJP candidate was declared victorious. Thereafter, Ashok Vihar, Saket and other places, the joy of BJP workers doubled. The scenes of beating of drums, bursting of crackers and hugging one another were seen on the premises of BJP offices and at counting centres. There were 33 counting centres in the Capital for the three MCDs -East, North and South. The joyous scenes were seen in all the BJP offices and wards as in all the three civic bodies, the BJP appeared victorious. The merrymakers said that they had got the drumbeaters booked a few days ago as "we were sure of wining the elections though the electronic as well as the print media had declared that in East Delhi the Congress would be in a strong position". The workers, gathered at the party office, said that the victory was due to proper distribution of tickets. Tickets were distributed to strong candidates only and those who had a good image in the wards. They were happy and praised the national president of the party, Nitin Gadkari and Delhi unit chief of the BJP, Vijender Gupta. |
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‘Referendum against Dikshit’
In North Delhi Municipal Corporation, BJP bagged 59, Congress 29, BSP 7 and others 4 out of total of 104 seats. In South Delhi Corporation having 104 wards, BJP managed 44, Congress 29, BSP 5 and others 14. Whereas in East Delhi, which was a stronghold of Congress consisting 64 wards, the party won only 19 seats, BJP 35, BSP 3 and others 6. The main players of BJP who have made a comeback include present Mayor Rajni Abbi, Standing Committee chairman Yogender Chandolia, the Leader of the House Subhash Arya, Deputy Mayor Anil Sharma, Education Committee chairman Mahender Nagpal, wife of Delhi BJP chief Shobha Vijender, Appointment Committee chairperson Meera Aggrawal and member Standing Committee Rekha Gupta, former chairman Standing Committee Ram Kishan Singhal. However, former Mayor Kanwar Sen lost his seat. In Congress, the beneficiaries are former Mayor Farhad Suri and former Standing Committee chairman Mukesh Goel, and Nutun Kochhar, wife of Congress party leader Jitender Kochhar. While Congress sought to downplay the results with party leader saying that MCD polls should be seen only as civic polls, BJP's M Venkaiah Naidu said party's good governance at municipal level resulted in the good show of his party. Other BJP leaders said that the party will focus on transparent and people-friendly organization. "It's a referendum against Sheila Dikshit. She should accept responsibility. She should resign," said Delhi BJP chief Vijender Gupta. He said that that the Congress government refused to listen to the problems of the people.
"People are fed up with the Congress whether it's at MCD, Delhi government or at the Centre. Inflation is the biggest worry at this hour. Water and power, too, are genuine concerns," he said. However, in attempt to neutralize their defeat, Congress senior leaders said that "It is not a reflection of the public mood towards the Delhi government. Last time, BJP had won the MCD polls but Congress came to power in Assembly. Congress even went on to win all the seven Parliament seats. MCD polls should be seen only as MCD polls," said Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi. |
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Indication of nation’s mood: BJP
New Delhi, April 17 The municipal elections results are a reflection of the people's anger against the corruption cases against the government highlighted by the CAG and Shunglu Committee reports, said Delhi unit chief of the BJP Vijender Gupta and the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Vijay Kumar Malhotra. The BJP leaders said the credit for the victory should go to all the people of Delhi and the BJP workers. He added that the results were a mandate against the "Congress misrule". "Sheila Dikshit should accept the moral responsibility for this defeat and resign immediately. The BJP has been claiming from the very beginning that the elections will prove to be a plebiscite against the Congress misrule, corruption, inflation and the anti- people policies. The way in which the voters of Delhi have expressed their acrimony against the Congress has proved our claim true. After UP, Punjab, Goa, Mumbai municipal corporation elections, the MCD elections have shown the Congress its real place. This party has lost its moral and democratic right to continue in power in the state," said Vijneder Gupta. Malhotra said the MCD elections were very important because Sheila Dikshit was handling the campaign of her party. "She should take the responsibility of the defeat and in accordance with the democratic tradition, resign as the Chief Minister of Delhi. If elections are held for the Legislative Assembly today, the Congress will be routed. People of Delhi are not ready to tolerate the mis-governance and corruption of the Congress, and the spiralling price and deteriorating law and order due to its rule. The people of Delhi have given a clear indication by making the BJP victorious in the three corporations. The verdict is an indication of the mood of the country," the BJP leader added. |
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Cong leaders give various reasons
New Delhi, April 17 She has not given a clear reason for the party's debacle in the elections and ruled out that price rise could be the reason for the defeat. East Delhi MP and the Chief Minister's son Sandeep Dikshit attributed the defeat to a gap between the party and the people. The BJP managed to take advantage of scams like 2G spectrum and price rise, according to him. Senior party leader Subhash Chopra, who had led a delegation to party president Sonia Gandhi last year opposing split in the MCD, said the timing of the trifurcation was "totally wrong" which might have cost the party. Former Mayor Farhad Suri who won his Nizamuddin seat said that anti-party activities of the rebels and wrong ticket distribution were the reasons for the defeat. Jitender Kochhar, spokesman of the Congress, admitted that inflation could be one of the reasons for the party's defeat. Former Parliamentary Secretary of the Delhi Chief Minister Nasib Singh said that municipal elections are contested at local levels. It is doubtful whether the MCD result will affect the assembly election that is to be held after 18 months. In 2007, the BJP had won the municipal election, but in 2008, the Congress had won the assembly election with a good margin. |
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Hope to function better now: Abbi
New Delhi, April 17 However, this election has given a boost to the BJP which now hopes to wrest power in the assembly elections also. According to a 2010 report, the government's anti-corruption branch said it had filed the maximum number of cases against the MCD and Delhi police. Most of the corruption charges were against commissioners, engineers, junior engineers and clerks, among others. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had filed over 64 corruption cases against MCD officials between 2008 and 2010. Delhi Mayor Rajni Abbi who won from Mukherjee Nagar today said, "We will try to improve the existing services provided by MCD. And we hope to function better this time." Despite the BJP taking charge of the three zones, the civic agency will continue to be monitored by a Delhi government-appointed directorate, tasked with coordinating between the three corporations. This would mean that the civic body may not have a free hand in taking administrative decisions. Another challenge for the BJP will be to fill in the additional posts of officials created following the trifurcation of the MCD. The corporation had advertised for 109 posts in March, but it has not received a single application so far. Also, the BJP has failed to finish some of the developmental work it has promised five years ago. Now, the party will have to speed up the work for the assembly elections. |
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All wards in Walia’s constituency
go to BJP
New Delhi, April 17 Parliamentary constituencies are represented by the Chief Minister's son Sandeep Dikshit and DPCC president JP Agarwal. They all tried to get the majority of seats in favour of Congress in East, but it seemed inflation, corruption and other issues raised by the BJP proved strong.
— TNS |
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Dikshit greets Delhi BJP chief
New Delhi, April 17 Sources said Dikshit congratulated Gupta and asked him to do good work and keep the faith people have reposed in BJP. The BJP today has retained its hold in the Delhi Municipal Corporation by winning North, East and South MCD elections. The BJP emerged the single-largest group in the MCD. |
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New Delhi, April 17
In the 2007 polls to the undivided Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), BJP had bagged 36.17 per cent (164) of the around 42.35 lakh votes polled while Congress got 29.17 (67) per cent. BSP's vote share was 9.87 per cent.