The oath ceremony of the new Delhi chief minister is likely to take place after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from his visit to the US this week, according to sources in the BJP. The swearing-in ceremony will be a grand event that will mark the BJP's return to power in Delhi after 26 years and the chief ministers of all NDA-ruled states will be invited, the sources said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely meet BJP president JP Nadda to discuss the government formation in the national capital. Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachdeva will meet the 48 newly elected MLAs soon. According to sources, Modi, Shah and Nadda discussed the government formation and oath ceremony at the BJP headquarters earlier.
While the BJP leadership is yet to announce its choice for the CM's post, newly elected MLA Parvesh Verma is being seen as the front-runner after he emerged as a giant slayer by defeating Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convener Arvind Kejriwal.
The voting for the Delhi Assembly Elections 2025 concluded on February 5 with an overall voter turnout of 60.39%. The highest voter turnout was in Mustafabad (69%). Lowest was in Karol Bagh (47.40%).
BJP bags 48 of 70 seats
The BJP staged a thumping comeback in Delhi after more than 26 years as it won 48 of the 70 seats in the Assembly polls, results of which were announced on February 8. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) secured 22 seats while the Congress drew a blank for a third straight time.
AAP candidate from Matia Mahal Aaley Mohammad Iqbal registered the highest victory margin of 42,724 votess, defeating BJP’s Deepti Indora, according to the Election Commission’s (EC) data.
BJP’s Chandan Kumar Choudhary won the Sangam Vihar seat by the lowest margin of 344 votes. The BJP’s vote share was 45.56%, while the AAP secured 43.57% votes and the Congress’s poll percentage was 6.34.
Not just Kejriwal and Sisodia, most of AAP’s senior leadership didn’t make it to the assembly except for outgoing CM Atishi and AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai, who also held the environment portfolio.
Among the party biggies who bit the dust was the outgoing health and urban development minister, Saurabh Bharadwaj, who lost the Greater Kailash seat that he had held since 2013. Bhardwaj was not just an important minister but also a forceful party spokesperson.
Other prominent losers were former AAP health minister Satyendar Jain, who is out on bail, and deputy speaker Rakhi Birla.
BJP reclaims Milkipur in UP; DMK bags Erode
By-polls in UP’s Milkipur reserved assembly seat and Erode (East) in Tamil Nadu handed landslide victories to governing parties BJP and DMK in the two states. BJP reclaimed Milkipur from SP in a political grudge match, while DMK proved too strong for its opponent in Erode (East) - actor-politician Seeman’s NTK, a Tamil nationalist organisation.
In Erode (East), DMK’s VC Chandhirakumar won with a margin of 91,374 votes, securing 74% of the vote share and providing a happy tonic to CM MK Stalin’s party before next year’s assembly elections. AIADMK, BJP, and allies stayed away from the by-polls.
