Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal (Photo Credit: Twitter)
New Delhi:
"Dilli walon, gazab kar diya aap logon ne, I love you (Oh people of Delhi, you’ve amazed us all, I love you!)". Addressing a gathering of supporters, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal pulled out the simplest of words to share his euphoria as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) racked up a massive win in the Delhi Assembly Elections, results for which were declared on Tuesday.
Thanking the people of Delhi for trusting in ‘their son for the third time’ in a row, Kejriwal said, “This victory is not mine, this victory belongs to the people of Delhi who have shown tremendous support for AAP by voting for it in the elections."
The AAP won 62 seats, a marginal dip from the 67 seats it won in the 2015 Assembly elections. The BJP, which won just three seats in the 2015 elections, improved its tally in the 70-member Assembly by bagging eight seats, even as Congress drew a blank.
The AAP's landslide victory comes nearly eight months after it suffered a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls in which the party drew a blank while the BJP won all the seven seats.
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Slated to become a third-time Chief Minister of Delhi, Kejriwal connection with the endearment, 'love', seems to have continued ever since the party came to power in the state and eventually resigned in 2014.
Founded in November 2012, the AAP contested its maiden election from Delhi in 2013. The election threw a hung assembly -- the BJP won 31 of the 70 seats, falling short of the majority mark, while the AAP struggled on 28 and Congress finished a distant third with eight seats.
Subsequently, the AAP joined hands with the Congress to form the government and Kejriwal took oath as the chief minister in December that year. The alliance, however, turned sour sooner than expected.
It was on February 14, 2014, the 49th day of the coalition government, that Kejriwal resigned from the chief minister's post and Delhi slipped into President's rule.
February 14 is marked worldwide as Valentine's Day, which is recognised as a significant cultura and commercial celebration of romance.
The Kejriwal-led party had bounced back to power in Delhi for a second time as the national capital went to polls on February 7, 2015. On February 10, as the votes were counted, the party created a record of sorts as it went on to win 67 seats. The BJP limited itself to just three, even as the Congress was reduced to zero seats.
Also Read | 'AAP Ki Dilli': Arvind Kejriwal Returns To Power With Landslide Victory
Spotlight was back on February 14, as Kejriwal took oath for the second time from the Ramlila Maidan.
A year later, on February 14, 2016, Kejriwal took to Twitter to pour his heart out over the significance of the day. "Last year, on this day, Delhi fell in love with AAP. This bonding is deep n everlasting," he tweeted.
In 2018, Kejriwal again found himself commenting on 'love' on February 14.When a Delhi University student asked Kejriwal for a message to the country in the name of love, the Delhi Chief Minister responded: "The reply of hatred is not hatred. Hatred can be countered only by love. Divisive politics is being played throughout the country. It is a matter of great concern for all citizens of this country. No one can remain silent in such a situation. Everyone will have to raise her or his voice against it."
As the Election Commission puts a stamp on AAP's massive win Tuesday, Kejriwal is likely to keep his date with February 14 once again, with sources indicating that the party could choose the day for the third oath-taking ceremony.
