Day before counting, AAP offices abuzz with activity

A day before counting of votes for the assembly polls, Aam Aadmi Party's offices across the city were abuzz with activities while the Delhi Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters wore a subdued look.

Barely four to five officials were seen at Rajiv Bhawan, the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee's head office on Rouse Avenue in central Delhi, while very few office bearers turned up at Delhi BJP headquarter on Pandit Pant Marg in Lutyens Delhi.

All the exit polls have given AAP a decisive edge over BJP with one of them giving the Arvind Kejriwal-led party as high as 53 seats in the 70-member House.

The BJP has rejected the findings of exit polls and exuded confidence of wresting power in Delhi after a gap of 16 years. The party on Sunday said it would get 34-38 seats.

The Congress, which had ruled Delhi for 15 years till December, 2013 has been projected to get at most five seats.

“We do not have any engagements planned at the DPCC. No senior leaders are here. DPCC chief Arvinder Singh Lovelyji in Gandhi Nagar and Makanji (General Secretary Ajay Makan) too do not have any meeting or programme lined up here,” a DPCC official present at the office said.

The conference hall on the ground floor of Rajiv Bhawan was open but lied completely dark and vacant, while the conference room on the first floor was locked.

Congress General Secretary Ajay Maken had on Sunday given indication of the party's mood after the exit polls results were out.

“I think people really want to give AAP a chance and if the exit polls, opinion polls are correct, so if that is the case, the will of the people should prevail in a democracy. And, whatever role people decide for us, we are ready to play,” he said.

Contrary to subdued atmosphere in BJP and Congress offices, AAP offices wore a festive look with presence of large number of volunteers. They expected a clear victory for AAP.

Reporters, both from print and electronic media, waited anxiously outside AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal's Kaushambi residence. Many journalists were also present at AAP's party headquarters in 173 North Avenue.

In the last Assembly elections, AAP had won 28 seats while BJP emerged as a single-largest party with 31 seats and Congress 8.

Very few party workers were seen at the Delhi BJP office. A few TV journalists, who visited the party office found the media office locked as well.