BJP heads for Delhi sweep, AAP in second spot

The BJP Friday appeared set to wrest all seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital from the Congress, with the AAP in the second spot and the Congress at a poor third.

Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Harsh Vardhan was leading by more than 52,000 votes in Chandni Chowk over AAP's Ashutosh.

Law and Communications Minister Kapil Sibal, who had won twice from Chandni Chowk, was in the third position.

Congress candidate Ajay Maken was at the third spot in New Delhi where BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi was on the victory lap. Aam Aadmi Party's Ashish Khetan was second.

AAP's Rakhi Birla, who was a minister in the 49-day AAP government in Delhi, also trailed to BJP's Udit Raj in Northwest Delhi with Krishna Tirath of Congress lagging behind to both.

In West Delhi, BJP's Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma was leading over AAP's Jarnail Singh and Congress' Mahabal Mishra.

The story was similar in South Delhi where BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri was on the victory lap over AAP's Devinder Sehrawat and Congress' Ramesh Kumar.

In East Delhi, BJP's Maheish Girri led over AAP's Rajmohan Gandhi and Congress' Sandeep Dixit, son of former chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

In Northeast Delhi, BJP's Manoj Tiwari was at the first place, AAP's Anand Kumar at the second. Jai Parkash Agarwal was at the third spot.

In 2009 the Congress had bagged all seven seats.

The Lok Sabha trends appeared to reiterate the message of the 2013 assembly elections when the BJP finished at the top bagging 31 of the 70 seats, leaving 28 for the Aam Aadmi Party and eight for the Congress.

AAP's Chandni Chowk candidate Ashuthosh congratulated the BJP. "We have come out as the second largest party in Delhi."

Added Delhi's former AAP minister Girish Soni: "The election was a learning experience for us. But the people have supported us."

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which bagged 28 seats in the state assembly and governed the national capital for 49 days, is currently at the second position in all seven seats here.