Monday's victory came as a hat-trick for the Congress in Delhi and Shiela Dikshit -- the face of the Congress campaign -- who's all set for her 3rd innings.

Dikshit is the only second Congress Chief Minister to do so in almost 40 years. This is a feat that will give her enviable clout within her party.

For the record though, she says, the party will decide if she'll be Chief Minister. "It's for the party and the party MLAs to decide."

It's clear that Delhi elections were as much about Sheila Diskhit and V K Malhotra as about it was about the Congress and the BJP.

Sheila was not just the star campaigner, she was given a free hand to choose her team of MLAs. With a comfortable win behind her, Sheila has now silenced her detractors within the Congress.

The terror attack in Mumbai was still playing out TV sets when Delhi voted. Many believed it would have an impact.

The 63 per cent turnout in Delhi was seen as a sign that people may vote for a change, after the BJP's sustained campaign that the Cong was soft on terror.

"We have been telling that terrorism is a national issue. It should not be politicised," says Diskhit.

Stumped by the big margin of defeat, the BJP may just have to restrategise its terror plank.

BJP leader V K Malhotra says: "We will have to study this defeat."

It's a sweet victory for the Cong in Delhi in what is now being seen as a semi-final before the Lok Sabha polls. The party hopes the finals are just as sweet.