Election 2014 Results: New vistas for BJP victors, gloom for Congress

NEW DELHI: The storm of support for Modi has added wind to the political sails of some BJP politicians in Delhi while leaving many Congress heavyweights to examine the ruins. There are celebrations ahead for Meenakshi Lekhi and Harsh Vardhan, and possibly even a ministerial berth. But for Congress titans Kapil Sibal, JP Agarwal, Ajay Maken and Sandeep Dikshit, an uncertain future beckons.

Maken's defeat is being seen as a fallout of the Modi wave. Perceived to be close to the Gandhi scion and part of the 'young' Congress brigade, he was nominated as party's general secretary. His relegation to the third spot at the hustings is a blot on his CV, but not one that can't be erased.

"Maken is going to bounce back as the dust settles over the elections," said a senior party source. Insiders predict that the former Union sports minister will be roped in for the party's revival plans.

For Sibal, it could be a bumpier ride back. Sources close to him admit that winning the Lok Sabha in 2004 was a special moment for the senior lawyer acutely aware of his "outsider" tag amongst career politicians. And though his clout within the party is not seen to have diminished - especially considering the all-round rout of the Congress - the characteristically haughty former minister may find the going tough for a while.

Harsh Vardhan, who defeated Sibal from Chandni Chowk, too faces a tricky choice. The face of Delhi BJP, Vardhan is the man credited with giving the party a clean image in the assembly polls. His victory throws up a conundrum for BJP. Should he be rewarded with a cabinet post or sent him back to battle? "The CM candidate will be crucial. Vardhan is the only unifying point, especially since there are no other viable CM candidates," said a BJP old hand.
Lekhi could gain if BJP retains Harsh Vardhan as its CM candidate. "She could then be looking at a ministerial berth," said the source.

For Sandeep Dikshit, the Lok Sabha loss is a continuum of the anti-Dikshit wave that started last year with the rejection of his mother, Sheila Dikshit. Insiders say the defeat could well mean the decimation of the Dikshit legacy.
The defeat of JP Agarwal, the former DPCC head, is bad news for the veteran Congressman. The five-time winning politician had managed to distance himself from the assembly debacle. But it could be difficult for him to script another recovery.