Temple visits: How leaders began their day as Delhi awaits next CM

New Delhi, Feb 8 (IANS) As Delhi eagerly awaits the announcement of its next Chief Minister, political leaders across parties began their day by visiting temples to seek divine blessings ahead of the Assembly election results.

In a display of faith and determination, BJP candidate Parvesh Verma from the New Delhi assembly constituency was seen offering his prayers at the Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place before the results were declared.

The New Delhi seat features a three-cornered contest with Arvind Kejriwal representing the AAP and Sandeep Dikshit has been fielded by Congress.

Congress candidate Alka Lamba from the Kalkaji Assembly seat paid her respects at the Kalka Ji temple prior to the commencement of vote counting.

Similarly, AAP candidate Saurabh Bharadwaj from the Greater Kailash constituency was spotted at the Kalkaji temple, joining the ritual of seeking blessings.

Over at the Bijwasan Assembly, BJP candidate Kailash Gahlot visited a temple first, taking blessings and confidently asserting that this time a BJP government would emerge in Delhi as the people had voted for the politics of change.

Congress State President Devender Yadav also prayed at a temple before the vote counting began, underscoring the common practice among political leaders to invoke divine intervention during these critical moments.

Moments before the counting was set to commence, BJP candidate Ajay Mahawar from the Ghonda Assembly, accompanied by his wife Seema Mahawar, visited the Shiv Mandir in Yamuna Vihar to pray to Lord Shiva and seek his blessings.

Adding to the morning rituals, BJP MLA candidate Satish Upadhyay from Malviya Nagar offered his prayers at the Hanuman temple in Green Park as he awaited the announcement of the election results.

BJP candidate Dushyant Gautam from the Karol Bagh constituency visited the Jhandewalan Temple to offer his prayers.

In a similar vein, BJP candidate Raaj Kumar Anand from Patel Nagar was seen at the Karol Bagh Hanuman Mandir before proceeding to the counting centre.

Further, BJP candidate Shikha Rai from the Greater Kailash Assembly seat visited the Kalkaji temple on the day the results were to be declared, joining other leaders in their spiritual quest for support.

BJP candidate Anil Sharma from the RK Puram Assembly Constituency also offered his prayers at the Kalkaji Temple. After his visit, he told IANS, “I visit Kalkaji Temple every day, not only because it’s counting day today. I’m sure Mata Rani will bless us, and the lotus will bloom in Delhi.”

The Delhi election result, scheduled to be declared on Saturday, will determine whether Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP can retain its stronghold and form the government for a fourth term or if the BJP will make a comeback in the national capital after nearly three decades.

The counting of votes commenced at 8 am across all 70 Assembly constituencies, with several exit polls providing an edge to the BJP over the incumbent AAP, which has governed Delhi since 2015. According to exit poll predictions, the BJP is poised to win at least 45 to 55 of Delhi’s 70 seats, while the ruling AAP is expected to face major losses.

Meanwhile, the Congress, which is hoping to secure some gains after drawing a blank in the last two elections, is likely to win only one seat.

For the 2025 Delhi Assembly election, the main political contenders remain the AAP, BJP, and Congress. In the New Delhi constituency, former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal of the AAP is facing former West Delhi MP Parvesh Sahib Singh from the BJP and former Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit.

In the Kalkaji constituency, Chief Minister Atishi of the AAP is contesting against former South Delhi BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri and Congress’ Alka Lamba.

In Malviya Nagar, AAP’s Somnath Bharti is pitted against BJP’s Satish Upadhyay and Congress’ Jitendra Kumar Kochar. Meanwhile, in Patparganj — a known stronghold of AAP veteran Manish Sisodia — the party has fielded Awadh Ojha as its candidate against BJP’s Ravinder Singh Negi and the Congress’ Anil Chaudhary.

With vote counting already underway and exit polls favouring a BJP surge, the Delhi election is poised to be a landmark contest that could reshape the national capital’s political landscape.

The final outcome, set to be unveiled on Saturday, will reveal whether the AAP can continue its long-standing dominance or if a dramatic power shift is on the horizon.

–IANS

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