MCD: Saffron swamps Capital as BJP rides to power

New Delhi, Apr 7 (UNI) Saffron fluttered across the national capital today as the Bharatiya Janata Party rode to power, with a thumping majority, in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, encashing on public outcry over the sealing and demolition drive and spiralling inflation.

After victories in the Punjab and Uttarakhand Assembly polls, the Lotus won 153 out of the 255 seats in the 272-member House for which results were declared till now in the April 5 elections.

The Congress had bagged 63 seats, the Bahujan Samaj Party 17, the Indian National Lok Dal, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the NCP two each and Independents 14 seats.

Former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma attributed the BJP's win to the people's anger over the inordinate rise in the prices of daily commodities.

BJP Delhi Pradesh president Harshvardhan said the party's huge win was a result of the ''faulty policies of the Congress'' which led to the people constantly living under the fear of sealing and demolition in the last one year.

''This win is a result of the collective efforts of all the BJP workers who have been campaigning for the polls day and night over the last one month,'' Dr Harshvardhan said.

A disappointed Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit accepted the party's defeat and said it was time for ''introspection for the Congress.'' Prominent winners included Leader of the Opposition in the present MCD House Subhash Arya, Mrs Anita Arya Babbar of the Congress, Congres rebel Deepika Khullar (as Independent from the Anarkali ward), BJP leader Vijender Gupta.

Addressing a press conference, Delhi State election commissioner S P Marwah expressed satisfaction over the smooth passage of the election process.

He, however, expressed ... picking up from para 11, line one of DI19,ELECTION-AFTERNOON LEAD MCD.

UNI