The BJP seems to be headed for a landslide win in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and was ahead in Delhi, where debutant Aam Aadmi Party has ensured that the ruling Congress will have to settle for a poor number 3 slot if all current trends hold.
Vasundhara Raje sworn in as Rajasthan Chief Minister.
Vasundhara Raje will be sworn in by Rajasthan governor Magret Alva at a grand ceremony in front of the Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha today. Besides the 30,000 karyakartas have been invited, the top brass of the BJP is also expected to attend. Important allies like the Badals from the SAD and Chandra Babu Naidu will also be present.
In Delhi, talk of fresh election gets louder as BJP and Aam Aadmi Party refuse to yieldThe BJP today virtually told its 31 newly-elected legislators in Delhi to prepare for fresh polls. It's been two days since election results were announced in the capital, but neither the BJP, which is the single-largest party in a hung House, nor Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party, which came in at number 2, have made any move towards government formation.
Want other good people to leave parties, join us for 2014: Arvind KejriwalArvind Kejriwal reiterated today that there is no question of his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) providing any kind of support that would allow the BJP to form the government in Delhi. Mr Kejriwal said that his colleague, Prashant Bhushan, who took a different stand on NDTV last night, was expressing his personal and not the party opinion.
BJP's Vasundhara Raje stakes claim to form government in Rajasthan BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate Vasundhara Raje today called on Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva to stake claim to form the government following her party's landslide win in the Assembly polls.
She was accompanied by the party MLA Gulabchand Kataria and two other party leaders.The meeting lasted for a few minutes, Raj Bhawan sources said.
The oath ceremony will take place on December 13.
Harsh Vardhan elected BJP legislative party chief Delhi BJP unit chief Vijay Goel said the party would not indulge in any "jod-tod" or horse trading to form the government.
The BJP won 31 seats, emerging as the single largest party. But it is short of the 36 mark in the 70-member assembly that would give it the majority and the right to form the government.
AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal: Why don't the Congress and the BJP form the government together. They have the same ideology of corruption.
'If BJP does those things which AAP has been formed for and it believes in, then we can think of supporting them. But Since it can never be like us, then where is the question of giving or taking support,' says AAP leader Prashant Bhushan
How Sheila Dikshit lost the New Delhi seatThe stunning blow that the 75-year-old leader received in her constituency can be attributed to nearly 60,000 of the 1.2 lakh voters belonging to the low income groups.
Sheila Dikshit to NDTV:- No advice for Arvind Kejriwal, he is wiser than me
- Don't think power bills were an election issue
- We tried our best to control prices
- Refuse to accept that Delhi government faced anti-incumbency votes
BJP's march to majority in Delhi halted by AAP, Arun Jaitley concedes on Facebook
The BJP-Akali Dal Alliance has won 32 constituencies of Delhi. This is about six to eight seats short of our expectations. We have narrowly lost in some assembly segments. Even though we have managed to retain a large part of our traditional votes, there was some shift even in middle class localities to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The Congress was no longer a serious option in Delhi. Residents of Delhi were considering which of the two alternatives to vote for - the BJP or the AAP.
The AAP may have got lesser votes and seats than the BJP. However, that is not a ground for satisfaction for the BJP. The BJP's march to comfortable majority has not been interrupted by the Congress. It has been interrupted by AAP.
The lesson of the 32 constituencies that the BJP has won clearly reveals that most candidates who were well grounded in the constituencies and appeared to be electorally acceptable have won. The lesson for the BJP of these results is that the credibility-quotient counts in an election. The image of the leadership, as also of the candidate, must inspire confidence amongst the voters. The announcement of Dr. Harsh Vardhan's name as the BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate helped the BJP. Those who have a track record of serving their constituency well, have a better chance of being elected. Just getting a party nomination even in a stronghold is not enough. The days of conventional politics are now over.
Is the AAP merely a freak phenomenon? Or is it going to be a lasting experiment? The last word on this cannot be said at this moment.
This party is unconventional. It has attempted to exploit the general mood of cynicism. It has made unrealistic promises and does not want to sit in a position of responsibility where it has to walk its talk. The very suggestion of being in government to implement its policy and promises appears to be scary for this party. In a democracy, the voters vote in order to elect the government. When there are no clear majorities, the government formation is an art of the possible. The Congress Party can give the AAP outside support in order to form a government.
In power, such a party would be like a fish out of water. It is possible to make exaggerated promises, and capture the imagination of a few by making unimplementable promises. The strategy of the party is to avoid power rather than be in a position to implement the unimplementable.
'We tried our best. We worked hard for 15 years. We hope for a stable government in Delhi, though we have no role': Sheila Dikshit
BJP's Nitin Gadkari to NDTV on Delhi verdict:
- We will honour the mandate of the people
- Won't seek support or try to create support to form the government in Delhi
News Update
PM congratulates BJP's Vasundhara Raje, Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Raman Singh for victories in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.
Congress chief Sonia Gandhi calls for meeting of party leaders this evening after big losses in assembly elections
It is BJP's mandate and responsibility to form the government in Delhi: AAP leader Yogendra Yadav
It is very clear that no party has got a clear mandate to form the government in Delhi. We don't have a majority, neither does the BJP. The BJP can try to form the govt or seek others' support if they want, we will neither seek nor lend support. Circumstances suggest there could be a re-poll, if that's the case, we are ready: AAP leader Manish Sisodia
Advantage Congress in Mizoram with leads in 17 seats
Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal meets Aam Aadmi Party leaders at his residence to decide future course of action
Counting begins in Mizoram: Congress leads in 6 seats, MNF alliance in 2
Counting of votes expected to begin in Mizoram assembly elections in a few minutes
Assembly election results - BJP's Super Sunday: 4-0 The BJP has won absolute majority in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and is the single-largest party though shy of a clear majority in Delhi, where Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party has ensured, in a stunning debut, that the ruling Congress stands decimated.
Madhya Pradesh: All results in Jyotiraditya Scindia to NDTV:- Congress cadre is hugely demoralised.
- We need to make urgent changes and start in one or two days since only six months left for elections.
- It would make a huge difference if Rahul Gandhi is announced as the Congress's prime ministerial candidate.
Arvind Kejriwal to NDTV:- Let Governor decide what happens in Delhi next
- We will be a responsible opposition
- It is a joke to suggest that we could take support from Congress
- We don't need a character certificate from Rahul Gandhi
- It makes no difference to me that Rahul Gandhi said Congress needs to learn from AAP
- I feel bad sometimes when Anna Hazare criticises me in public. I want his blessings
- So what if Prashant and I have different views on Kashmir. Individuality should be encouraged
- I would describe my mood as being at peace with myself
- Today history has been made and Indian politics have changed forever. We are very ordinary folk, this is people's victory
- The victory margins you see for the AAP candidates show how angry the people were
- BJP is trying approaching our candidates. People will try to break AAP but none of our members are going to give in
- We don't have majority. How can we take support from the Congress
- Rome wasn't built in a day. We have reached this far. Now we'll go on from here
- Do you see a wave for Narendra Modi? Where is it? The BJP's vote share has gone down
- The people of Delhi have given hope to the people of India. Only the common man can save India
- We aren't just a party of Delhi. We have to remove corruption from the entire country
- The democracy of India was held hostage by communal, corrupt politics of these parties. We have liberated it today
- I don't want to become Prime Minister or Chief Minister. I am just a common man
- The people elect their own leaders from the grassroots. Leaders don't come with appointment letters
- The people elect their own leaders from the grassroots. Leaders don't come with appointment letters
- The people have rejected both the BJP and the Congress in Delhi
- Politics has taught me patience and made me inclusive as far as people and issues are concerned
- We are not here to make careers, we have left our careers to clean up the system
Narendra Modi Tweets
People have spoken loud and clear! The verdict has shown yet again that people want development, not corruption & votebank politics.This is a wonderful beginning towards success in our Mission272+ and for fulfilling the dream of a Congress Mukt Bharat.
Chhattisgarh: All results in (90/90) BJP - 47 | Congress - 41 | Others - 2 We will form government if we get support in natural process. Otherwise would like to sit in Opposition: BJP's Nitin Gadkari on Delhi poll result
Aam Aadmi Party's Yogendra Yadav tells NDTV:
- If we align with the BJP and Congress, our voters will feel betrayed
- Not embarrassed to form government if get majority. We have been given a moral mandate but not the numbers
- Today's verdict allows us to be seen as a viable option for delhi voters in lok Sabha elections
BJP's Arun Jaitley tells NDTV:- Vasundhara Raje's charisma and Modi effect electrified Rajasthan
- For a party that wants to become a national party, we can't ally with Congress and BJP
- AAP is an unconventional party which exploits cynicism against conventional politics. I'm not sure how long this lasts
- You can't be embarrassed at the idea of being in government
- A strong BJP will certainly have the ability to attract many more non-Congress parties as allies
- Our victory today perhaps improves prospects of our being noticed as a force by many regional parties
Delhi: All results in. BJP stops short of a clear majority Live election results - BJP's Super Sunday: 4-0The BJP has ended up with absolute or two-thirds majority in Rajasthan and looks set to do so in Madhya Pradesh, but is likely to stop shy of a clear majority in Delhi, where the Aam Aadmi Party has ensured, in a stunning debut, that the ruling Congress stands decimated.
BJP takes Chhattisgarh: Humbly accept defeat, congratulate Raman Singh, says Congress' Ajit Jogi
BJP takes Chhattisgarh. Congress's Ajit Jogi says,"I humbly accept defeat, congratulate Raman Singh." BJP's Sushil Kumar Modi Tweets
Have learnt lesson from AAP: Rahul Gandhi After a humiliating defeat in four of the five states that have just voted, Rahul Gandhi, who led the Congress party's campaign, told reporters, "The people have sent us a clear message. We have heard it...not just in our minds but in our hearts."
(Read more)
Harsh Vardhan celebrates as BJP emerges as the single-largest party in Delhi After historic debut in Delhi polls, Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal addresses media:- Politics will no longer be hostage to communalism, corruption
- The results in the Delhi polls are historic in many ways
- So far, politics was limited to BJP, Congress and some other parties and subject to their corruption and whims
- The people had no options
- So the people decided to fight elections directly
- The common man stood for elections
- This is not a win for the AAP, this a win for the people of India
- This is an indication that if the Congress, BJP don't change, they will be removed
- For the first time, a party put up estimates of its costs on its website
- We said we only want 20 crores and stopped taking donations when that happened
- When there were allegations against a candidate, we disqualified him
- This shows that we can win in politics with honesty
- So far, we used to oppose
- Now, the people who have been elected, I request those who have been elected to serve their constituents like they would like to be served
- Congratulate Harsh Vardhan on getting the seats they have
- Not a personal battle against Sheila Dikshit, it was a battle of issues... we oppose inflation and corruption
- So far, elections were fought by paid workers
- But now, volunteers left their jobs, took vacations, closed their shops and common people rose to fight the elections
- I thank the families of those who put up with hardships
- Thank the people of Delhi for allowing this honest politics to happen... now this honest politics will happen in the country
- I apologise if I have hurt anyone
Arun Jaitley to NDTV:- Since the creation of Chhattisgarh, we have been doing exceedingly well.
- The Delhi result clearly indicates it is a case of shared anti-incumbency.
- Narendra Modi energised the cadre, his rallies were well attended, and in one sense, at the national level, he led the campaign.
- After this conclusive 4-0 verdict, the UPA is a lame duck government.
- It was crippled for a long time. It will now get much worse.
Narendra Modi flashes a victory sign, along with LK Advani at BJP headquarters in Delhi. Anand Mahindra Tweets
AAP's dramatic debut shows we want desperately to be idealistic & not cynical.That honesty isn't just the best policy but the best politics.
BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi tweets
BJP President Rajnath Singh addresses the media:- Want to congratulate all the CM candidates
- Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Raman Singh, Vasundhara Raje, Harsh Vardhan
- Also congratulate the grass roots workers of the BJP and the provincial leaderships as well
- We delivered good governance in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh
- The people have given their approval for BJP rule
- The election results in MP, Chhattisgarh shows that there was pro-incumbency, not anti-incumbency
- Results show that the Congress has been completely rejected
- Congress used to say that Rajasthan is the model for development, but the Congress suffered a bad loss
- So the people have said that if any party can deliver good governance, it is the BJP
- We have returned to power in states we ruled with larger seat share
- In Delhi, BJP is the single largest party... the results will be clear in a few hours
- We have won in approximately 69 per cent of all assembly seats polled
- No one can deny that we have benefitted greatly from our PM candidate Narendra Modi
- Shivraj Chouhan will take on a third term as Madhya Pradesh CM
- I want to clarify that the BJP will form governments in all four states
Rahul Gandhi addresses the media:- People have sent us a message through this elections
- My party and me have heard this message with our hearts
- Congress has the ability to transform itself
- It has the ability to live up to the expectations of the people
- We are going to do whatever we can as individuals and as a party to live up to people's expectations
- Political parties are not giving adequate to voice of people on the street
- I am going to put all my effort into transforming the Congress party
- To give you an organisation that you are proud of and has your voice embedded
- I think the Aam Aadmi had involved a lot of people that the traditional parties did not involve
- Will do a better job than anyone else at involving people
- (On Narendra Modi) Modi is a leader of the BJP
- The Congress has a perspective of the country, the BJP has another
- Our job is to push our perspective, theirs is to push their perspective
- That is the focus of the Congress
- Will focus on how we can use the youth of the country to transform the country
- The BJP will focus on what they want to... this is what we will focus on
Sonia Gandhi addresses media:- Congratulate our opponents for winning the elections
- Want to thank all our workers, they worked very hard
- This result calls for deep introspection
- We have to look at the many reasons for this defeat
- Have to see how we didn't take our message to the people
- Have to see if our party is equipped or not for running the elections
Results + Leads at 4:30 pm On Twitter, Omar Abdullah signs out for the day
News Update
Delhi polls: Aam Aadmi Party's Somnath Bharti defeat Congress's Kiran Walia and BJP's Arti Mehra from Malviya Nagar
Kapil Sibal Tweets
Congratulations to all the winners in Delhi, MP, Chhatisgarh, and Rajasthan. For the rest, time to introspect.
Rajasthan Congress chief quits
Accepting moral responsibility for defeat of ruling Congress in Rajasthan, state Congress chief Chandrabhan today resigned.
Mr Chandrabhan, who contested the assembly election from Mandawa in Jhunjhunu and was trailing at fourth position, tendered his resignation to the AICC President Sonia Gandhi.
Tweets from Shivraj Singh Chouhan
Omar Abdullah tweets on Chhattisgarh
Arvind Kejriwal to NDTV:
Want to wait for results of a handful of seats where results are still expected
Leads keep changing; want to see if Delhi heading for a clear hung situation before talking to the press
Arvind Kejriwal after defeating Sheila Dikshit
This is not my victory. It is a victory of people of New Delhi constituency and victory of democracy.
Arvind Kejriwal waves to AAP supporters from window as news comes in that he's defeated Sheila Dikshit. Still no sign of top #AAP leaders at the Delhi office, they're still meeting on next steps, reports NDTV's Sreenivasan Jain.
News UpdateNarendra Modi has landed in Delhi from Ahmedabad amidst landslides in MP and Rajasthan, the party inching forward in Chhattisgarh and the AAP playing party-pooper in Delhi.
A grand return to power for Vasundhara Raje Vasundhara Raje, who failed five years ago on account of infighting in BJP, reinvented herself and galvanised the cadre to spearhead her party's spectacular comeback to power in Rajasthan.
Back to the drawing board, says Congress Punished by voters in four major states ahead of the national election just months away, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Congress party on Sunday conceded that it was time for hard introspection.