Patna, February 8
Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday expressed strong confidence regarding Bharatiya Janata Party's performance in the Delhi elections, stating that the party is ahead and it will continue to remain ahead.
Speaking with the reporters, Manjhi said, "BJP is not just being shown ahead (in election result trends). It is ahead and it will remain ahead."
Manjhi also took a jibe at Congress over party's allegations on EVMs and voter list saying, "Congress has been crying since the beginning that there is a problem with the EVMs or the voter list."
On Lok Sabha LoP and Congress MP, Rahul Gandhi, the Union Minister said, "I advise Rahul Gandhi to think before speaking. He should attain maturity, he is not a child anymore."
Meanwhile, according to the latest update from the Election Commission of India (ECI) at 11:38 am, BJP is leading on 45 seats while AAP is leading on 25 seats.
Key constituencies include New Delhi, where AAP leader and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is contesting against Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit and BJP's Parvesh Verma.
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi contested against BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress candidate Alka Lamba from Kalkaji constituency. The campaign saw sharp exchanges between leaders of the three parties.
Most exit polls released on Wednesday gave the BJP an edge over the AAP. However, AAP leaders said that the exit polls have historically underestimated the party's performance. They expressed confidence in returning to power.
The AAP is aiming for a third consecutive term, while the BJP is striving to return to power after more than two decades in the National Capital.
The Congress, which was in power for 15 consecutive years in Delhi, has faced setbacks in the last two assembly elections and has failed to win any seats. AAP has dominated the last two assembly elections in Delhi, but the BJP is looking to break the trend and reclaim power after more than two decades.
The BJP's campaign, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, targeted Kejriwal over alleged issues with the Yamuna water and corruption. Meanwhile, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held rallies, accusing AAP of "damaging" the infrastructure of Delhi.
- ANI