Janakpuri Assembly Election Results: Rajesh Rishi Of AAP Defeats BJP's Ashish Sood

Rajesh Rishi of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) defeated BJP's Ashish Sood by a margin of 14917 votes from the Janakpuri Assembly constituency, according to the official results declared by the Election Commission. The Janakpuri seat voted on February 8, along with 69 other constituencies. Counting of votes polled in the high-stakes Delhi Assembly election began on Tuesday morning amid tight security at various centres set up to carry out the exercise.

Janakpuri Assembly seat comes under the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The constituency has four municipal wards of Sitapuri, Milapnagar, Janakpuri South and Janakpuri West. Ten assembly seats, including Uttam Nagar, Dwarka, Janakpuri, Vikaspuri, Hari Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Madipur, Rajouri Garden, Matiala and Najafgarh come under the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency.

In the last election held in 2015, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Rajesh Rishi had won the Janakpuri seat. The party has again fielded Rishi from the Janakpuri Assembly seat. Radhika Khea from the Congress and Ashish Sood from the BJP will fight from this constituency.

The Aam Aadmi Party appeared to be heading back to power for a second term in Delhi with the party leading in 58 seats of the 70 and the BJP ahead in 12 as votes for last week’s assembly elections were counted, according to Election Commission figures.

The contest for political power over the national capital was a bipolar one with the Congress nowhere in the reckoning, according to initial trends.  

AAP supremo and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was leading in the New Delhi seat by 4,300 seats, while his deputy Manish Sisodia from Patparganj seat was ahead by 102 votes.

BJP leader Vijender Gupta, who is also leader of opposition in the Delhi legislative assembly, was trailing by over 1,200 votes from Rohini.

As early celebrations broke out in the AAP headquarters in Rouse Avenue, BJP’s Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari asked his party supporters not to lose hope.

“There are 27 seats where the difference of votes is between 700 to 1,000,” Tiwari told reporters.

Looking ahead at victory, he said he was not nervous and was ready to take on the responsibilities that a win would bring.

“All talk is over. We have to wait for the blessings of the people. I am confident it will be a good day for BJP. We are coming to power in Delhi today. Don’t be surprised if we win 55 seats,” Tiwari said.

Kejriwal, who had led his party to a spectacular win of 67 of 70 seats in 2015,

is expected to address party workers and the media later in the day. However, his party workers were upbeat and in celebratory mode.