Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva on Wednesday said the party is happy that the people of the national capital elected six of its women candidates in the MCD bypolls — a feat indicative of people’s appreciation for the BJP’s efforts towards women’s political empowerment.
Addressing a press conference here, Sachdeva said that the BJP contested the by-elections to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi with utmost sincerity, winning seven of the twelve wards. Moreover, securing more than 46 per cent (45.9) vote share in these bypolls clearly shows that the party continues to be the first choice of Delhi residents, he added.
The Delhi BJP chief credited the victory to party workers, office-bearers, and the extensive campaign led by Chief Minister Rekha Gupta.
Reacting to statements made by AAP leaders, Sachdeva said that both Saurabh Bharadwaj and Durgesh Pathak are now making baseless remarks after their party’s defeat in the by-election. This, he said, reflects their frustration and shows that they are trying to evade responsibility for losing votes due to irregularities in ticket distribution.
He further said that despite losing Ashok Vihar by a narrow margin and winning Naraina by a small margin, AAP’s president and other leaders levelled accusations of “vote theft” and “election theft.” Even after a recount, they appeared dissatisfied, which clearly shows their desperation, Sachdeva claimed.
“The people of Delhi are shocked that a party which lost Ashok Vihar by 405 votes and won Naraina by only 148 votes is questioning the BJP’s victory in Ashok Vihar,” the BJP leader said.
The Delhi BJP president also claimed that the statements being made by AAP leaders now appear to be an attempt to avoid questions from their own party workers regarding the defeat in the Chandni Mahal ward.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor claimed that AAP workers are also raising questions about ticket distribution and the absence of Arvind Kejriwal from the election campaign, as he did not participate.