Delhi is not a full state. Some would argue it is barely a half-state or even a one-third state (it continues its demands for full statehood). And yet the battle to win Delhi was a keenly fought; some would say a dirty one. While there were ostensibly three contenders in the fray – Bharatiya Janata Party, Aam Admi Party and Congress – realistically the battle was only between the first two. Congress seemed to be in it mainly for comic relief. If one is an AAP supporter, one would be elated with the results of the Delhi Assembly election results. BJP supporters would be much less so. However, anyone with a sense of humour would enjoy these:
The exit polls varied between 58 and 64 for the AAP, ad between 15 and 6 for the BJP. Few exit polls gave any chances at all to the Congress. They were spot on.
As counting started on the morning of 11 February it quickly became clear that the exit polls had got it right this time.
It briefly – very briefly – seemed as though Congress had a small chance of winning one seat.
Congress was almost a bystander in these elections. The prediction was zero, the result was 0 as well.
While AAP won emphatically with 62 seats out of 70 the BJP won 8. The pre-poll bravado did not seem justified in retrospect.
Pictures of this little kid; dubbed Baby Kejriwal went viral. The AAP official handle itself tweeted the image of the miniature muffler-man (a pejorative term often used for Kejriwal).
The AAP famously set aside 25% of the state budget for education, which was a major poll plank. The improvement and additions made to Delhi schools appear to have defeated the ‘terrorist’ remarks made with reference to incumbent Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
The #DelhiResults are being seen people rejecting the campaign’s shrill pitch and attempted polarization.
The people of Delhi seemed unwilling to believe that their fellow-citizens protesting in Shaheen Baug were their enemies in spite of the Home Minister’s remarks about electric currents.
The perception was that winning Delhi was a prestige issue for the party at the centre; which put its entire might and top leadership behind the attempt to win #DelhiElection2020.
In the past, AAP has cast aspersions of EVM manipulation. According to this cartoon, if AAP had not won, they would have blamed the EVMs again.
People feel that whenever there is a win to be celebrated, the top leadership accepts credit; but blame of a defeat is always deflected to more junior leaders.
Bhojpuri actor and Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari was the butt of some uncharitable ridicule through the campaign.
Having predicted a comfortable win for his party, 'Rinkiya ke papa" (Tiwari's pet name owing to a song he has sung of that name) he was later forced to concede defeat.
The tweeple also took digs at journalists known to favour the central dispensation. Sudhir Chowdhary of Zee News was particularly disappointed. A clip of him referring to Delhi voters as lazy and selfish went viral soon after the exit polls came out.
The trolls on one side of the political divide seemed to be more vocal than the trolls on the other side.
Satish Acharya’s cartoon sums it up: #DelhiResults show that work works. #AAPWinningDelhi has to do with a development based campaign that resonated with people. A divisive campaign about rapes, traitors, bullets and electric currents that sought to incite fear and hatred was rejected.
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