NEW DELHI: Delhi Congress chief Devender Yadav credited the party’s resurgence in the MCD by-elections to its booth-level workers, as Congress candidate Suresh Chaudhary secured the Sangam Vihar ward with a substantial rise in vote share. Congress’s overall vote share increased from 6.18 per cent to 13.44 per cent, which Yadav described as a major political revival for the party in the capital.
Speaking to the media, Yadav said the bypoll outcome reflected a noticeable shift in public mood. Of the 12 wards that went to polls, nine were earlier held by the BJP, which retained only seven. He said voters were “once again looking towards Congress”, noting that while the party’s vote share more than doubled, the BJP’s fell by 2 per cent and the AAP’s by 8 per cent.
Yadav said Delhi’s electorate had rejected the Rekha Gupta-led BJP government in the MCD, formed just 10 months ago. Attempts by the chief minister to “encash misgovernance and false promises” had backfired, he said, with voters delivering a strong message through the ballot box.
Recalling the organisational overhaul initiated after the Lok Sabha elections, Yadav said he prioritised rebuilding the party from the grassroots by restructuring districts and blocks and uniting workers across assembly segments. He said rising support for the Congress had even forced Arvind Kejriwal to step down, adding that party workers fought the bypolls with unity and would now focus on strengthening the organisation at every booth.