Delhi results: Three AAP ministers win amid string of losses for senior party leaders

Gopal Rai, Mukesh Ahlawat and Imran Hussain, who were ministers in the Delhi government, secured victories from Babarpur, Sultanpur Majra, and Ballimaran, respectively, amid what is likely to be a string of losses for senior leaders of the party.

Top AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, both CM and deputy CM for the majority of the last two terms, are headed for losses from their seats in the Delhi Assembly polls but three ministers of the AAP government were the saving grace for the party.

Gopal Rai, Mukesh Ahlawat and Imran Hussain, who were ministers in the Delhi government, secured victories from Babarpur, Sultanpur Majra, and Ballimaran, respectively, amid what is likely to be a string of losses for senior leaders of the party.

Hussain won with a margin of 29,823 votes, Rai with 18,994 votes and Ahlawat with a margin of 17,126 votes. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP leader Atishi, meanwhile, was also headed for a victory from her seat in Kalkaji.

Saurabh Bharadwaj, another prominent leader and a minister, lost to BJP’s Shikha Roy by a margin of 3,188 votes in Greater Kailash. Kejriwal has conceded his party’s defeat in the Delhi polls. His rival from the BJP in the high-profile New Delhi seat, Parvesh Verma has already claimed victory. Former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has also conceded defeat to BJP’s Tarvinder Singh Marwah in Jangpura.

The Election Commission is yet to declare the winner from the New Delhi and Jangpura seats. The BJP is poised to form a government in Delhi after more than 26 years, with the latest Election Commission (EC) trends showing the saffron party ahead in 48 of the 70 assembly seats and AAP in 22. The Congress is set to draw a blank for the third consecutive assembly polls.