"Celebrated to honour her supporters": Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Atishi's Delhi poll victory jig

New Delhi [India], February 10 (ANI): While several leaders criticised Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Atishi for celebrating her victory from Kalkaji seat, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi backed her stating that the outgoing Delhi chief minster was merely honouring her party workers who ensured her victory against a strong contender Ramesh Bidhuri of the BJP.
Applauding Atishi, Chaturvedi said that she emerged victorious after contesting tough elections, adding that she was working very hard while handling the dual responsibilities.
Speaking to ANI, Chaturvedi said, "... We should understand that elections are a very long process. Many people work very hard to ensure the victory for their candidates and party leaders. Atishi was working very hard as a Chief Minister and handling dual responsibility... She also fought a very tough election with someone like Ramesh Bidhuri. Having contest such a tough election, emerging victorious and snatching victory out of defeat led to the celebration. It was to honour the workers, who stood by her to ensure her victory and she joined the celebration."
On Sunday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s President Virendra Sachdeva questioned Atishi on why she was dancing on the loss of convenor Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi assembly polls.
Speaking to ANI, Sachdeva said, "AAP leader and Outgoing Delhi CM Atishi should tell why was she dancing yesterday on the loss of Arvind Kejriwal...They still have to give an account of the loot that Arvind Kejriwal and Atishi did for the past 10 years..."
Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal also criticised Atishi, after the AAP leader was seen celebrating her victory from the Kalkaji constituency in the assembly elections.
Maliwal shared a video of Atishi dancing and celebrating with supporters following her victory in the Kalkaji Assembly seat and termed it as a "shameless display," in light of AAP's crushing defeat in the elections.
"What kind of shameless display is this? The party lost, all the big leaders lost and Atishi Marlena is celebrating like this?" posted Swati Maliwal on X.
Atishi retained the Kalkaji seat after a hard-fought contest and defeated BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri by a margin of 3,521 votes.
Acknowledging her individual victory, Atishi conceded AAP's defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections and vowed to continue fighting against the BJP. Atishi's victory stands out for AAP, especially as several of its top leaders, including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and ex-Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, lost their constituencies.
Atishi tendered her resignation to the Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Sunday.
The BJP is set to form a government in Delhi after 27 years, as the party secured an overwhelming two-thirds majority in the assembly polls and ended AAP's over 10-year rule in the national capital.
The last BJP government in Delhi was from 1993 to 1998.
Out of 70 assembly constituencies, the BJP won 48 seats, while AAP managed to secure only 22. Several prominent AAP leaders, including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, ex-minister Satyendra Jain, and Saurabh Bharadwaj, lost their seats. (ANI)