Atishi emerged victorious in the Kalkaji seat, securing 52,154 votes and defeating BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri by a significant margin of 3,521 votes. The contest was intense, with Bidhuri taking an early lead, sparking concerns about another potential AAP loss. However, Atishi managed to turn the tables in the later rounds of counting, securing one of the few wins for her party.
Despite Atishi’s victory, the overall election outcome was dismal for AAP, which only managed to secure 28 seats. Amid this, a video circulating online shows Atishi celebrating with supporters, which AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal deemed insensitive given the party’s overall defeat. Maliwal questioned the timing of Atishi’s celebration, highlighting the contrast between her victory and the party’s humiliating loss.
Atishi’s victory dance in the Kalkaji constituency drew ire from Maliwal who labelled it a “shameless display”. Maliwal’s criticism comes on the heels of AAP’s dismal performance in the Assembly elections, where top leaders like Arvind Kejriwal lost their seats. “What kind of shameless display is this? The party lost, all the big leaders lost, and Atishi Marlena is celebrating like this?” she wrote.
This isn’t the first time Maliwal has publicly criticized Atishi. Previously, Maliwal expressed concerns over Atishi’s family background, claiming her parents had opposed the hanging of convicted terrorist Afzal Guru. The tension between Maliwal and the AAP leadership has been escalating, with Maliwal’s comments sparking demands for her resignation from the party.
Meanwhile, Atishi earlier thanked the people of Kalkaji for voting for her and congratulated her team for their hard work. Despite her win, she acknowledged that it’s not a time for celebration, but rather to continue fighting against the BJP’s “dictatorship and hooliganism”.
Atishi’s win was a rare bright spot for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which suffered a major setback in the elections. The Congress party failed to win any seats, with a vote share of just 6.34%. The BJP got 45.56% of the votes, while the AAP got 43.57%.
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