Saffron flutters across Capital as BJP set to regain MCD

New Delhi, Apr 7 (UNI) Saffron fluttered across the national capital today as the Bharatiya Janata Party was all set to ride back to power 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 BJP headed for a majority in the April 5 MCD polls, winning 122 out of the 217 seats for which results were declared till now.

Going by counting trends, the Lotus was all set to cross the 136 seat mark and secure a majority in the 272-member House.

The Congress had bagged 59 seats, the Bahujan Samaj Party 17, the Indian National Lok Dal, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the NCP two each and the independents 13 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 here, Delhi State election commissioner S P Marwah expressed satisfaction over the smooth passage of the election process.

He, however, expressed disappontment over the low turnout in the polls.

''It is unfortunate that only 43 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise,''Mr Marwah said.

On the repolling in ten polling booths spread over four wardswhich was held yesterday, the first time a repoll was held in MCD polls, Mr Marwah said repolling had to be called because a huge crowd of people who had entered the booths and damaged the electronic voting machines.

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