The BJP has never ever won a direct fight in any of the Assembly elections in the national Capital. It has always benefited whenever there has been a triangular contest. When Congress was a contender in the last State elections, BJP and its allies benefited by winning 32 of the 70 seats. This time, with the Congress almost giving up even before taking on its contenders, the AAP tsunami, which swept the Capital, left the saffron brigade with only three seats in its kitty.
It was way back in 1993 that the fifth Assembly of the Delhi Vidhan Sabha was formed by holding the first State elections. This was a historic election as Delhi got its first own Chief Minister after a period of 37 years of the President’s Rule. This was also the first time that Delhi witnessed elections after becoming the National Capital Territory (NCT).
With the Janata Dal contesting all the 70 seats, there was a triangular contest in all the seats. The triangular contest had helped the BJP to wrest its control on 49 seats. The Congress got 14 seats, the JD won four and the three were won by the Independent candidates.
But in 1998, when there was a direct contest between the Congress and the BJP, Sheila Dikshit became the Chief Minister with its party registering a magnificent victory in 52 seats. The saffron party was reduced to just 17 seats and the JD(U) could register its victory over just one seat.
Again in the 2003 elections, the Congress emerged as the single largest party by winning 47 seats. The BJP could manage its victory on 20 seats. Each of the JD(S), the NCP and the Independent candidates won one seat.
It was again advantage Congress in the 2008 elections, when it was in direct fight with the BJP. The Congress was again back to power by winning 43 seats. While the BJP could wrest its control over 23 seats, the BSP won two, the lok Jan Shakti got one and another seat went to an Independent candidate.
But the emergence of the AAP as a major force changed the political landscape of the city in 2013 elections. The newbie party got 28 seats and the triangular contest helped the BJP and its allies to take its tally to 32 seats. The battered Congress could win just eight seats.