Arvind Kejriwal to take oath as Delhi CM on Feb 14

www.mangaloretoday.com

New Delhi, Feb 10, 2015: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal is set to take oath as Chief Minister of Delhi on Saturday following the party’s massive victory in the assembly polls today.

All the elected legislators of the victorious AAP will meet at 5 pm at the Constitution Club here to formally choose the legislative party leader, sources said.

Arvind Kejriwal had asked Delhi for a majority. It has given him an assembly with virtually no opposition. The Aam Aadmi Party has redefined the words absolute majority, now leading in 67 of Delhi’s 70 seats.

The 46-year-old Mr Kejriwal will take oath as Delhi’s Chief Minister at the Ramlila grounds on February 14. It was on February 14 last year that he had resigned after 49 tumultuous days as Delhi chief minister.

The BJP has registered a nightmare result. It is leading in only three seats now; its chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi has lost from a BJP safe seat. Nine months ago, the party had swept the capital’s seven Lok Sabha seats and was the single largest party in assembly elections held in December 2013 with 31 seats.

Mr Kejriwal, 46, was showered with flower petals as he stepped out to speak to the packed crowds outside his party office a little before noon. By his side his wife, Sunita, made a rare appearance.

"We will always walk the path of truth," Mr Kejriwal said, to loud cheers, adding, "It is very scary, the kind of support the people of Delhi have given us."

A whopping 53 per cent share of the vote has powered the AAP avalanche. The BJP’s vote share is almost unchanged from last time at 33 per cent.

The Congress, in complete decimation, has lost 15 per cent in vote share and will win no seat in Delhi, which it ruled for 15 straight years till 13 months ago.

Mr Kejriwal has an invitation for a "chai pe charcha" from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who tweeted, "Spoke to @ArvindKejriwal & congratulated him on the win. Assured him Centre’s complete support in the development of Delhi." 

This is the first major setback for PM Modi since he registered a massive win in the national elections in May last year. The BJP had won most recently held state elections.