BJP welcomes Delhi poll announcement, says confident of victory

Welcoming the announcement of Delhi Assembly elections, top Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders today got into a huddle to formulate strategies for the February 7 polls in which it is locked in a direct fight with AAP.

BJP President Amit Shah held a meeting with top party leaders from Delhi late in the evening to evolve the party’s strategies for the polls.

The party expressed confidence that its victory march would continue in the national capital and it would form the next government in Delhi which can move in tandem with the Centre to ensure all-round development.

Buoyed by BJP’s victory in the Delhi Cantonment Board elections today, where it won five of the eight seats, party leaders said it reflects the mood of the people in the city.

“It is clear and we hope that Delhi’s mood has come out through the Delhi Cantt. results. We hope to get a good and best majority in Delhi,” Delhi in-charge Prabhat Jha told PTI.

BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma said, “We welcome the poll announcement. We are confident of a government with majority as such a government is necessary in Delhi that can move in tandem with the Centre and ensure good governance and all-round development of Delhi.”

Sharma said the party wants to see a government that can provide good governance and is corruption-free to ensure that Delhi becomes one of the best cities across the world.

“…The results of Delhi Cantonment are certainly very encouraging for us and Delhi is not untouched by the wave across the country and there will be good results in favour of the BJP,” Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said.

BJP spokesperson and New Delhi MP Meenakshi Lekhi said the way 36 per cent voters voted for BJP in the last Lok Sabha elections, it is clear that BJP is going to come out with a major victory in Delhi.

Upadhyaya said BJP is ready for the polls and will come out with its candidates’ list within a day or two after the party’s Central Election Committee meeting. Asked whether the party will declare its chief ministerial candidate, he said BJP will contest these polls under “collective leadership”.

In last Assembly polls in Delhi in 2013 December, BJP had bagged 31 seats in addition to one by its ally SAD, falling short of a simple majority in the 70-member House. AAP had won in 28 seats, followed by eight of Congress.

Sharma said a BJP government in Delhi would provide 24-hour electricity and help set up more schools, colleges and hospitals.

Touting Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an ambassador of development and good governance, the BJP leader said he has taken India’s image to a position of pride across the world and he can only ensure the country’s speedy progress.

Asked if the party is likely to field all its sitting MLAs in Delhi, Upadhyay said, “It look likely unless something is found against someone.”

New Delhi MP Lekhi said if the Delhi Cantonment Board polls were touted as a semi-final by AAP and the finals would be in favour of BJP with the kind of response it has received from the people.

She said it is apparent that 15 years of “mis-governance” and one year of “non-governance” are going to be major issues, “because these people have cheated public of Delhi as the idea was clearly to damage the governance structure which they successfully did in Delhi election”.

She said people have seen through that governance can only be achieved by voting in favour of BJP as any vote split will lead to “ill-governance and mis-governance”.

The Assembly election in Delhi, being touted as a direct contest between BJP and AAP, will be held on February 7 and counting of votes on February 10, the Election Commission announced today.