New Delhi Election Results: Arvind Kejriwal Loses Seat, BJP's Parvesh Verma Emerges Giant-Killer

From the high-stake New Delhi assembly constituency, former Delhi chief minister and Aadmi Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal has been defeated by the Bharatiya Janata Party's Parvesh Singh Verma.

Verma secured the win with a margin of over 4,000 votes, according to the data shared by the Election Commission of India.

The BJP candidate polled a total of 30,088 votes, as compared to 25,999 votes secured by Kejriwal, the ECI data showed.

Kejriwal, in a video message, conceded defeat in the assembly polls. "We accept the mandate of the people with great humility. I congratulate the BJP for this victory and I hope they will fulfil all the promises for which people have voted for them," he said.

Verma, an ex-Lok Sabha MP and son of late former Delhi CM Sahib Singh Verma, has emerged as the giant killer in this election with his victory over Kejriwal. This win projects him as one of the probable chief ministerial candidates, as the BJP is returning to power in the national capital after 27 years.

Speaking to reporters after his victory was confirmed, Verma said, "I would like to congratulate the people. This is the victory of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the public of Delhi."

The New Delhi seat also witnessed another heavyweight candidate, as Congress fielded Sandeep Dikshit, a former MP and son of late former chief minister Sheila Dikshit. However, he emerged as a distant third in the electoral contest.

Reacting to his defeat, Sandeep Dikshit posted on social media, "I am personally responsible for this humiliating defeat from the New Delhi seat. The voters wanted change, and I failed to live up to this sentiment."

Notably, New Delhi is one of the most-high profile constituencies in Delhi. It has been represented by Kejriwal over the past 12 years, after he wrested it in 2013 by defeating the then CM Sheila Dikshit. He retained the seat successfully in the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections.

Delhi is poised for a change in government as the BJP has secured a two-third mandate. The party won 48 out of the 70 assembly constituencies, whereas the AAP's tally slipped to 22 constituencies. The Congress has drawn a blank.

In the 2020 assembly elections, the Kejriwal-led AAP had secured a landslide mandate of 62 seats in the 70-member assembly, whereas the BJP had managed to win only eight constituencies.

Kejriwal, in his video message, said the AAP is accepting the mandate of the people and is ready to serve as a constructive opposition. "We will not only play the role of a constructive opposition but will also remain among the people and continue to serve them.”