In one of the most stunning comebacks in Indian political history, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday scored a landslide win in Delhi, delivering to the BJP its first electoral defeat since its historic Lok Sabha triumph and reducing the Congress, that had ruled the capital for 15 years till 2013, to a virtual nonentity.
As thousands of AAP activists broke into celebrations all over the capital, election officials counting the votes polled Saturday said the party was tipped to end up with a staggering 65 of the 70 assembly seats -- the highest victory margin for any party in Delhi so far.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had led an aggressive campaign against Kejriwal and had called him an "anarchist" and had even compared his ideology to that of Maoist extremists, congratulated the AAP leader as it became clear that the BJP was headed for a humiliating rout, winning at best just four seats.
Modi promised the central government's full cooperation to the AAP government, which is expected to take oath at the Ramlila Maidan Sunday -- exactly a year after Kejriwal quit after ruling the capital for 49 tumultuous days.
An emotional Kejriwal, 46, who founded the AAP only in 2012, became teary eyed as his colleagues repeatedly hugged him and lifted him in the air at his house at Kaushambi in Ghazibad bordering Delhi. Outside, activists kept a steady chant of "Paanch Saal, Kejriwal!"
Kejriwal later reached the AAP office in central Delhi where he told thousands of boisterous supporters waving party flags and brooms -- the AAP election symbol -- that the AAP sweep was "a victory for truth and honesty".
There were traffic jams in many parts of Delhi as AAP supporters, a majority of them young people, celebrated on the streets.
The Congress suffered an unprecedented washout, with all its 70 candidates losing. Its chief ministerial aspirant, Ajay Maken, resigned as general secretary.
So massive was the AAP sweep that even BJP veterans, including some household names in Delhi, were on the losing track.
The party's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi, who was personally picked by Modi and BJP president Amit Shah to lead the party's charge -- a move that created deep fissures within the party -- was struggling to win.
"This is incredible. We can't believe it," AAP leader and former Delhi minister Manish Sisodia told IANS. Senior AAP leader Yogendra Yadav called it a victory of proverbial David over Goliath. Other party leader cautioned AAP members not to go overboard.
As expected, the AAP win created ripples across the country.
In remarks clearly aimed at Modi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who had asked people in Delhi to vote for the AAP, said it was a "big defeat for the arrogant"
"This is a victory for the people and a big defeat for the arrogant and those who are doing political vendetta and spreading hate... The election is a turning point... The country needed this change."
Gandhian Anna Hazare added: "The result is a defeat for Narendra Modi. What did the BJP do in the past nine months? The BJP made promises to tackle corruption. Instead they took anti-people, anti-farmer decisions. They lost public confidence."
Hazare, who mentored Kejriwal when he launched an anti-corruption campaign here in 2011 that shook India, urged the AAP leader not to repeat the mistakes he committed during his earlier stunt as chief minister.
In Kerala, former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan called the vote for AAP a blow to "Modi's arrogance". Former Bihar chief minister and JD-U leader Nitish Kumar echoed him. The CPI-M hailed the people of Delhi for "decisively rejecting the BJP".
One after another, BJP leaders accepted defeat and congratulated the AAP and Kejriwal. "As the party's Delhi leader, I accept moral responsibility for the defeat," said Satish Upadhyay. "Clearly, we made a mistake in understanding the people's mood."
Election officials said the AAP was poised to grab as many as 65 of the 70 seats, leaving just four to the BJP. Even lesser known AAP activists won easily. AAP leaders who had joined the BJP just before the polls were also routed. The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) was set to win one seat.
"Kejriwal is teary eyed," AAP leader Pankaj Gupta told IANS. "None of us could sleep properly last night because we were tense. Now, we just cannot believe these unbelievable results."
The AAP is set to bag an incredible 54 percent of all votes, officials said. The AAP swept all across the capital, including both in the middle class areas and low income neighbourhoods.
Kejriwal hiself was headed for victory in New Delhi constituency, where he created history in 2013 by defeating three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit.
Senior AAP leaders, including Somnath Bharti, Manish Sisodia and Rakhi Birla, who were ministers in the earlier Kejriwal government, were also poised to win.
Earlier, Kejriwal tweeted: "All the very best Delhiites. Do pray. Prayers are very powerful."
Gloom descends upon BJP offices in Delhi
A pall of gloom descended Tuesday on the BJP headquarters here on its major drubbing in the Delhi assembly polls as the vote count trends showed the AAP heading towards a massive victory.
Both the central office of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at 11, Ashoka Road as well as the state unit's headquarters at 14, Pandit Pant Marg looked deserted with only media personnel present since morning.
At both the offices, party officials wore a dejected look.
"The results have proved that we as party workers failed to ensure that our message of development reaches the people. We accept defeat and will surely introspect the reasons behind it," BJP media convener Praveen Shankar Kapoor told IANS.
However, Kapoor said that the results were not a referendum on either Prime Minister Narendra Modi or party's chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi.
Ajay Maken quits after Congress debacle in Delhi
Congress' chief ministerial aspirant Ajay Maken Tuesday quit as the party's general secretary after it suffered a rout in the Delhi assembly election.
Maken and all other 69 candidates of the Congress were defeated in the Saturday ballot. He had said that he would resign from the party post if he lost from his Sadar Bazar constituency.
"I take responsibility for the results and have decided to resign as general secretary of the Congress," he said.
Maken congratulated Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal.
He said: "We want to congratulate Kejriwal and hope the promises he has made and the dreams he has outlined, he will fulfill them in Delhi. For strengthening of democracy, I hope that he will fulfill his promises."
Congress workers demand bringing in Priyanka Vadra
As the Congress headed for a rout in Delhi assembly polls, 'Bring Priyanka' slogans were once again raised outside the the party headquarters here Tuesday.
A group of party workers were seen demanding Congress President Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka Vadra be brought into active politics.
Scores of protesters holding banners saying "Priynakna Lao Congress Bachao" (Bring Priyanka, save Congress) were seen outside the party office.
The group was led by party worker Jagdish Sharma.
This was not the first time that a demand for bringing Priyanka Vadra has been raised in the party. A similar protest was witnessed after the results of Lok Sabha elections and after the defeat of Congress in the Haryana and Maharashtra assembly polls.
It is Modi's debacle: Anna Hazare on Delhi polls
Veteran social crusader Anna Hazare Tuesday termed the outcome of Delhi election results as "a defeat for Narendra Modi" and expressed happiness at Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party's performance.
"This was expected. The result is a defeat for (Prime Minister) Narendra Modi. What did the Bharatiya Janata Party do in the past nine months?" Hazare told mediapersons as the results showed a big win for the AAP in the national capital.
He said the BJP only made promises to tackle corruption. "Instead they took anti-people and anti-farmer decisions. They lost public confidence."
Expressing happiness at the astounding victory of his former colleague Kejriwal, Hazare described him as "a very sharp person with good all-round experience".
"Kejriwal must not forget the anti-corruption crusade and should work for public benefit. He must avoid his past mistakes and work with simplicity," Hazare advised.
He expressed confidence that Kejriwal would live up to the expectations of the people of Delhi.
Kejriwal became a household name when he was a key aide to Hazare when the latter launched a hunger strike at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi in 2011 in support of a Lokpal Bill.
Hazare urged Kejriwal "not to forget that 'andolan' (struggle) whether or not you are the chief minister".
He said Kejriwal earned people's trust by taking part in that anti-corruption agitation.
