Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal sounded a conciliatory note on Wednesday and desisted from raising the Electronic Voting Machine tampering issue, unlike other Aam Aadmi Party leaders, as he congratulated the BJP on its victory in the municipal polls.
His reaction came hours after it became clear that the BJP was not only set to retain control of the three corporations but it had expanded its base by winning a total of 181 wards, more than its existing strength of 138.
The AAP chief promised all cooperation to the civic bodies for the betterment of the national Capital.
Ahead of the poll results, Kejriwal had threatened to launch an agitation over alleged “manipulation” of EVMs, an issue he had raised after the AAP’s disappointing performance in the recent Assembly elections in Punjab and Goa. However, there was no word from him on the proposed agitation on Wednesday.
“I congratulate BJP on their victory in all 3 MCDs. My Govt looks forward to working wid MCDs for the betterment of Delhi (sic),” Kejriwal, who went into a huddle with top leaders of the AAP as the results trickled in, tweeted.
Through his carefully worded congratulatory message, the AAP chief also sought to couch the tension within the party over its defeat in the polls, coming as it does after a string of upsets in Punjab, Goa and the Rajouri Garden bypolls here.
Other AAP leaders, however, vociferously raked up the allegations of EVM tampering. Senior Minister in the Delhi Government Gopal Rai said an “EVM wave” is sweeping across the city.
“This isn’t a Modi wave, this is an EVM wave. The same happened in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand. It is a major threat to democracy. The rights of the electorate will have to be ensured. The BJP wants to demolish democracy,” Rai told reporters.