New Delhi:The BJP and its NDA partners on Saturday hailed the Delhi victory as an endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership while the Congress asserted that it was a referendum on AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and not Modi's policies.
Internal bickering in the INDIA bloc came to the fore with Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah taking a jibe as both the Congress and AAP were defeated after contesting against each other. "Aur lado aapas mein!!! (Keep on fighting each other)," the NC leader said on X.
INDIA bloc constituents like Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP-SP believed that the BJP would not have won had the Congress and AAP fought the election together and emphasised that a lesson should be learned from this.
The Congress, however, lashed out at those criticising it for contesting against the Aam Aadmi Party, saying they didn’t give "these lectures on opposition unity to AAP when the party went to Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, etc to fight elections and weaken anti-communal, secular vote".
Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said the "meltdown of a section of so-called liberals is completely bizarre" and said the Delhi election result is a "rejection of the Trojan horse that attempted to damage the liberal cause" across the country.
"Majority of liberals are rightly cheering the fall of the facade so that the real champion of liberal values - the Indian National Congress - can emerge stronger to take the BJP on and defeat it," Khera said on X.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut alleged that the BJP won as a lot of money was spent, workers of rival parties were targeted and voter list was tampered with in Delhi "as was done in Maharashtra". He said a Congress-AAP alliance would have crushed the BJP in Delhi assembly polls.
Reiterating his allegations of irregularities in the voters list in Maharashtra which saw the BJP-led Mahayuti combine winning big last November, Raut alleged that the "Maharashtra pattern" was implemented in Delhi polls.
"It would have been better had the ties between AAP and Congress been good. Both parties fought against the BJP separately. Had they contested jointly, the BJP's defeat would have been certain. We should take lessons from this," Raut told reporters.
NCP (SP) legislator Rohit Pawar said the INDIA bloc parties could not overcome their egos, ultimately allowing the BJP to achieve an otherwise “impossible” victory in the Delhi assembly polls. Most of the top leaders of INDIA bloc parties were silent on the Delhi poll verdict.
"Delhi's matter remains in Delhi... we don't have any comment on it. It will have no impact in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee will become the CM for the fourth time in the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections... Our leadership is analysing what happened in Delhi but it will have no impact in Bengal," TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said.
The BJP staged a massive win in Delhi as it bagged 48 seats in the 70-member Assembly. AAP, which enjoyed a brute majority in the last two terms, was reduced to 22 seats, while the Congress failed to open its account for the third consecutive time.
Union ministers, chief ministers of BJP-ruled states and NDA partners hailed Modi's leadership and Home Minister Amit Shah's strategies. The NCP, Shiv Sena and Lok Janshakti Party (RV) credited Shah for drafting "accurate" poll strategies that ensured the saffron party's return to power in Delhi after more than 26 years.
Congratulating the Bharatiya Janata Party for its huge victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said, "The people of Delhi have expressed their full faith in the able leadership of respected Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji."
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said the results "stand as a resounding endorsement of the progressive policies of the NDA government".
"This victory in Delhi, which follows Haryana and Maharashtra, reflects the continued trust and confidence of the people in the visionary leadership of the Hon'ble Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi Ji, and his devotion to building a Viksit Bharat.
"I am confident that this mandate will usher in a new era of growth, development, and prosperity for our national capital," Naidu said on X.
"The voters have once again handed the Congress, which falsely claimed that the Constitution and elections are all in crisis, a complete defeat. Their lie has been defeated and the voters have fully supported the truth," Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister and Shive Sena leader Eknath Shinde said.
Union Minister and RLD leader Jayant Chaudhary said the "historic" victory will strengthen the NDA. BJP's allies said that Delhi voters have rejected the Congress that had questioned the election process and had claimed that the Constitution was under attack.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that it is a victory of faith in the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and the policies of the BJP. Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said it was a stamp of approval on the policies of all-round development pursued by Prime Minister Modi. "This is a victory of development and good governance," he said.
Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said the people of Delhi have put an end to the politics of lies and theatrics pursued by the AAP.
"Farmers in the national capital were tired of the 'AAP-da' government. Now the farmers will benefit from the Central government's policies," Chouhan, a former Madhya Pradesh chief minister, said.
Accepting the verdict of the people, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party did the groundwork to oust the AAP government in public interest, but the "public did not give us the mandate as expected".
"Every Congress leader and worker worked unitedly under adverse circumstances, but more hard work and struggle is still required," he said in a post in Hindi on X. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said he humbly accepts the mandate of Delhi as he thanked party workers and voters.
"This fight for the progress of Delhi and the rights of Delhiites, (and) against pollution, price rise and corruption - will continue," Gandhi said on X. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the assembly election results reflected nothing more than a referendum on Kejriwal and AAP.
Noting that AAP won in Delhi at the height of prime minister's popularity in 2015 and 2020, it shows that, "rather than being vindication of the policies of the prime minister, this vote is a rejection of Arvind Kejriwal's politics of deceit, deception, and vastly exaggerated claims of achievement."
"The Congress was expecting to do better. It has, however, increased its vote share. The campaign of the Congress was vigorous. It may not be in the assembly but it is definitely a presence in Delhi, a presence that will be expanded electorally with the sustained efforts of lakhs of Congress workers," Ramesh said.
"There will be a Congress government once again in Delhi in 2030," he asserted. Eknath Shinde (Shiv Sena), Ajit Pawar (NCP), K Rammohan Naidu (TDP), and Chirag Paswan (LJSP-RV) also credited the "charismatic" appeal of Modi and the "meticulous" strategising of Shah for BJP's victory in the national capital.
"Modi ji's guarantees have worked wonders in Delhi... After Maharashtra, the voters of Delhi have expressed faith in the leadership of Modi. The victory run of the BJP continues," Shinde said, adding Delhi voters averted a "disaster" and also taught a lesson to the Congress, which made false claims of the Constitution being in danger.
Union minister and Apna Dal leader (S) leader Anupriya Patel said the people voted for "development, clear water and air, right governance and freedom from corruption".
