Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Manjinder Singh Sirsa today registered an easy win in the Rajouri Garden assembly by-election, defeating his nearest Congress rival Meenakshi Chandela by over 14,000 votes.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Harjeet Singh was pushed to the third spot.
The BJP's candidate bagged 40,602 votes whereas Congress stood at second position with 25,950 votes. The AAP managed to garner only 10,243 votes.
Even before the final result was declared by the Election Commission, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia conceded defeat but sought to lay the blame for its poor show to its candidate.
He said that party’s decision to field incumbent MLA Jarnail Singh from here against Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Parkash Singh Badal in the Punjab polls cost the party the most.
“Jarnail Singh’s resignation from here to contest Punjab polls cost us. We failed to convince the people. We will still try to make them understand. This was just a by-poll. BJP too has lost many by-polls after 2014 victory,” Sisodia said.
The bypoll was conducted as Rajouri Garden seat fell vacant after Singh quit to contest against Parkash Singh Badal in the Punjab assembly elections.
