 "Shakur Basti Assembly election 2025: Karnail Singh (BJP), Satyendar Jain (AAP), and Satish Kumar Luthra (Congress)")
As the final round of counting concluded for the Shakur Basti Assembly seat in the Delhi Assembly elections, Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Karnail Singh secured the seat with a margin of 20,998 votes against Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Satyendar Jain. Meanwhile, Congress candidate Atish Kumar Luthra trailed by more than 50,000 votes.
Shakur Basti, located in the North Delhi district, witnessed a fierce three-way battle between AAP, BJP, and Congress.
In the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, Satyendar Jain of AAP secured a victory, defeating BJP’s Dr S C Vats by a margin of 7,592 votes. The constituency had a total of 146,226 electors, with 99,165 valid votes cast.
Who is Karnail Singh?
Karnail Singh serves as the head of BJP’s Temple Cell in Delhi, which was created in 2022 to build stronger ties with the Brahmin community ahead of elections. The cell is focused on engaging with and supporting priests, particularly those who conduct religious rituals at temples. Additionally, Singh chairs the advisory board of Madhav Netralaya, an eye hospital and research center in Nagpur. He describes himself as a "servant of Sanatan Dharma."
A strong critic of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of favouring mosques and maulvis while neglecting the needs of priests and temples.
Exit poll gives BJP edge
Most exit polls have indicated that the BJP is likely to have the upper hand over AAP, which has been in power in Delhi since 2015. A combined forecast from five leading polling agencies predicts the BJP could secure between 38 and 43 seats, while AAP is expected to win around 26 to 32 seats. Meanwhile, Congress, which governed Delhi for 15 years under Sheila Dikshit, is anticipated to remain a minor contender, with projections of 0 to 1 seats.
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