BJP highlights close fights to improve workers’ morale

NEW DELHI: After failing to get the numbers needed to form a government in Delhi, BJP workers are circulating data that compares the party’s performance to AAP for boosting the morale of its cadre. The data, which shows how close the party was to victory, has been in circulation on social media and is being sent informally through mails from a few leaders to party workers.

BJP is struggling to form the government with 32 seats, narrowly missing the magic figure of 36, in a 70-seat assembly . According to the figures circulated by the party, its candidates lost by a margin of less than 1,000 votes on five seats, whereas only one AAP candidate, Shazia Ilmi of R K Puram, was edged out in this way—she lost to Anil Sharma of BJP by just 326 votes.

A reality check shows that AAP candidates’ stunning performance snatched victory from the party’s grasp on just four seats. In Delhi Cantt, BJP strongman Karan Singh Tanwar lost to Surender Singh by just 355 votes. On the Vikaspuri seat, BJP candidate Krishan Gahlot was defeated by AAP’s Mahinder Yadav by a margin of 405 votes. The party’s erstwhile sitting MLA from Sangam Vihar, S C L Gupta, had a close contest with AAP candidate Dinesh Mohaniya who left him behind by 777 votes. Similarly on Sadar Bazaar seat, AAP’s Som Dutt managed a victory over BJP’s Jai Prakash with a close margin of 796 votes.

“These figures show that BJP was the first choice. People on these seats voted for BJP in large numbers but unfortunately we missed the target. However, these facts will be a boost to the cadre that has worked endlessly for many months. We want to prepare them for another election that is likely if we fail to form the government,” said a senior leader. Other data highlights how BJP finished at the second position on 29 seats, while AAP could only reach that spot on 20 seats. The party also claims there were nine seats on which it lost by a margin of less than 2,000 votes compared to three seats in case of AAP.

On Madipur seat, BJP candidate Kailash Sankla lost by a margin of 1,103 to AAP’s Grish Soni. On the Karol Bagh seat, BJP veteran S P Ratawal lost to debutant Vishesh Ravi of AAP by a close margin of 1,750 votes. On the Rohini seat, considered BJP’s bastion where Narendra Modi had a massive rally, candidate Jai Bhagwan Aggarwal lost to AAP’s Rajesh Garg by a margin of 1,872 votes. Another close contest was in Mustafabad , a Muslim-dominated area, where the party lost to Congress candidate Hasan Ahmad by 1,896 votes.