AAP sweeps MCD bypolls, wins 4 of 5 wards, Cong wins 1, BJP draws a blank

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday swept the civic body bypolls here, winning four of five wards that voted on Sunday, with the Indian National Congress winning the fifth seat in a surprise show and the Bharatiya Janata Party drawing a blank.

Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is also the national convener of AAP, said the results were testament to the people's wish that his party be allowed to rule the municipal corporations and that this was an endorsement of the work his government had done in Delhi.

The AAP, however, suffered a shock defeat in the minority-dominated Chauhan Bangar ward, where Chaudhary Zubair Ahmad of the Congress defeated the party's candidate Mohammad Ishraq Khan by a whopping margin of 10,642 votes.

The BJP failed to open its account in the bypolls, being seen as the semi-final ahead of the civic polls due in 2022, and even lost the Shalimar Bagh seat held by it to the AAP.

"We honour the mandate given by people. Losing Shalimar Bagh North is a matter of introspection. The shortcomings will be removed and I am sure BJP will win the elections for three municipal corporations in 2022," said Delhi BJP president Adesh Gupta.

The AAP candidates won from Kalyanpuri, Rohin-C, Trilokpuri and Shalimar Bagh North wards.

According to the State Election Commission, the AAP polled the highest 46.10 per cent votes in the bypolls, followed by 27.29 per cent by the BJP and 21.84 per cent by Congress.

AAP candidate Dhirender Kumar won the Kalyanpuri ward by 7,043 votes. The party candidate Vijay Kumar from Trilokpuri defeated BJP's Om Prakash by a margin of 4,986 votes.

AAP's Sunita Mishra defeated Surbhi Jaju of the BJP in Shalimar Bagh ward by 2,705 votes. The seat was earlier held by the BJP. Ram Chander of the AAP defeated BJP candidate Rakesh Goyal by 2,985 votes in Rohini C ward.

The AICC in-charge of Delhi Congress Shaktisinh Gohil said party candidate Chaudhary Zubair Ahmad's record victory reflected the affection of people and hard work by Congress candidates.

More than 50 per cent votes were cast in the bypolls for the five municipal wards held on February 28.