Voters' verdict for Delhi Legislative Assembly election has been sealed in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Delhi, an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) bastion for last 10 years, is likely to throw up interesting result this time around if exit polls are to be believed. Almost all exit polls have predicted that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to cross the halfway mark of 35 in 70-seat Delhi Legislative Assembly. This is a far cry from last two elections in which AAP had near-total hold on the assembly.
If BJP indeed manages to form the government in Delhi, it will not have done it for the first time. Before sheer dominance by AAP and the Congress, BJP managed to attain power in the national capital for a short while.
The very first legislative assembly elections were held in Delhi in the year 1952. Following State Reorganisation Act (1956), Delhi was made a union territory and the assembly was abolished.
After Delhi was formally declared National Capital Territory of Delhi, elections for legislative assembly were held in 1993.
BJP registered a thumping victory in the elections. The party managed to win 49 out of 70 seats. The Congress could manage to bag only 14.
BJP's Madan Lal Khurana became the chief minister. Khurana remained on the post till 1996 when he resigned from his post following being embroiled in corruption allegations.
BJP refused to reinstate him and instead made Sahib Singh Verma the next CM of Delhi.
Singh remained on his post for two and a half years. Singh faced bitter intra-party rivalry from Khurana during his tenure.
Singh served as CM till October 1998. As he stepped down following onion prices crisis, Sushma Swaraj took the oath of CM's office. She was the first female chief minister of Delhi. She remained CM till the assembly elections.
