Kejriwal’s party sweeps Delhi

Observers say defeat a blow for PM Narendra Modi

NEW DEHLI: India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi conceded defeat on Tuesday in the Delhi state election against Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), after the latter won 67 out of 70 seats and picked up 54% of the vote share.

In a 25% swing, unprecedented in Indian electoral history, AAP reduced the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to just three seats from 32 previously. The Congress party failed to win barely any seat.

In its first election in 2014, AAP formed a minority government in Delhi but had to bow out within 49 days. It regrouped and reorganised itself and contested the same election again a year later with spectacular results.

AAP came on the scene in 2012 cresting an agitation against cronyism and corruption.

The Modi-led government is trying to brush off this victory as an aberration. But AAP is likely to contest the elections in Bihar in October this year and could consider fighting the polls in Uttar Pradesh (UP), India’s biggest and most populous province, due in 2017.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 11^th, 2015.