Excitement, anxiety, jubilation and disappointment marked the counting at four centres at the ITI Pusa of Central Delhi. Awaiting results for the much- hyped election to three municipal corporations in Delhi held in over 270 wards across the national Capital, a large number of people had started making a beeline outside the counting centres at the BTC Pass building and the ITI Pusa building at the Pusa Road area in West Delhi as early as 8 am on Wednesday.
The air was pregnant with excitement. As supporters of the three main political parties, AAP, BJP and Congress began to enter the counting centre, heavy police as well as paramilitary presence surrounded the counting rooms. With barricades, PCR vans and police personnel patrolling, the first round of counting began. In the initial rounds in the Paharganj and Karol Bagh wards, the AAP took a leap. However by the end of the fifth round, BJP had marked its victory.
With the clock ticking, the crowd started to swell and chants of slogans such as "Bharat mata ki jai and BJP zindabad" filled the air and the excitement was felt in counting rooms too where agents of the winning candidates expressed their happiness by thumping desks. Meanwhile, by the end of the sixth round, it was clear that the BJP had established a majority in the Paharganj and Ranjeet Nagar Constituency. Few meters away from the BTC Pass building, the mood inside the ITI building too was ringing with slogans of BJP supporters.
BJP won in the Karol Bagh ward (12436), Paharganj ward (11370), West Patel Nagar (8037) and the East Patel Nagar wards (9892) respectively.
The first runner up, the Aam Aadmi Party won seats in the Ballimaran ward (14350). Meanwhile, Congress won seats in the Anand Parbat (9318), Ram Nagar (10851) and Dev Nagar wards (12851) respectively.
Recording big victory of 9,892 votes in the East Patel Nagar ward, the crowd waiting at the ITI gate swelled chanting and cheered for the meritorious BJP candidates. Amid the scorching heat, people from all walks of life gathered to support winning candidates.