Election Results 2024: Bansuri Swaraj makes winning debut

Election Results 2024: BJP candidate Bansuri Swaraj made a strong start to her political career by winning the New Delhi constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, as per sources.

The BJP had made a strategic move by dropping two-time MP and veteran Meenakshi Lekhi in favour of newcomer Bansuri for the New Delhi constituency.

Lekhi, who had won the 2014 and 2019 elections by substantial margins, defeating Congress party’s Ajay Maken by garnering over 46.75% of the vote share in 2014 and 55% in 2019, now has to step aside for the fresh face.

Bansuri, daughter of the late Union minister Sushma Swaraj, defeated AAP’s Somnath Bharti by over 60,000 votes. Both the contestants are lawyers, though Bharti is a seasoned politician, having served as three-time MLA from Malviya Nagar, part of the New Delhi Lok Sabha seat.

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This election was highly competitive as Congress and AAP had formed an alliance under the INDIA bloc to contest the Lok Sabha seats in Delhi.

Bansuri had launched a vigorous campaign, criticising Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and promising to allocate 25% of MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) funds to residents’ welfare associations. She had also assured that all Central government schemes would be effectively implemented in her constituency. Meanwhile, Bharti relied on his strong local support and proven record as a three-time MLA.

In the past, the prestigious New Delhi constituency has been represented by prominent leaders such as former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and ex-deputy Prime Minister LK Advani.

Spanning a significant portion of Lutyens’ Delhi, this constituency is not only a hub of political activity but also home to numerous unregulated colonies and slums, where concerns regarding basic amenities like power, water, roads, and jobs took centre stage in the electoral discourse.