BJP national vice president Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said Delhiites have rejected both the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress and that the recent verdict is the renewal of the 2014 mandate. Talking to Shashi Bhushan, Mr Vinay Sahasrabuddhe said that it is clear from the results that people do not like the politics of dharna and pardarshan.

Q: What does today’s Delhi civic poll results mean?
A. The message is very clear. The massive support of people has renewed the BJP mandate of 2014 in the national capital when we won all the seven LS seats. In 2015, Arvind Kejriwal and his AAP won 67 of the 70 Assembly seats. However, he never gave BJP its due credit for its past success.

Q: Does the civic poll results ensure cordial relationship between the local bodies and Delhi government which are always in confrontation mode?
A. These things are not in our control but we expect that the state government will accept the verdict and work in coordination with the local bodies. It is not just about the local bodies and state government; for better and all round development, the Centre, state, and local bodies must all work together. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis met with all the parliamentarians of the state twice in a year, irrespective of their party, to discuss the issues to be raised with the Centre. In Delhi, Mr Kejriwal never met any of the seven Lok Sabha members since 2015.

Q: What are the reasons behind the historic victory of BJP?
A. An electoral result is the sum total of several factors and it changes with every area. A well knit organisation, the credible leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah, and clean governance are the main reasons for our success