Ashok Kumar Gupta, an Independent candidate from Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency, bagged only 140 votes, but said he didn’t mind the poll loss, because merely participating in the electoral process was “privilege” enough for him. The seat, which remained a BJP stronghold for the second consecutive term, saw Praveen Khandelwal secure a win over INDIA bloc candidate and Congress leader J.P. Agarwal by a margin of xxx votes.
Mr. Gupta, who lost by a margin of over 5 lakh votes and bagged the lowest number of votes of all the candidates across Delhi’s seven seats, said he is grateful that even a handful of voters “saw a leader in him”.
“It gives me immense pleasure to think that those many voters considered me a trustworthy candidate. My story in electoral politics is far from over,” said the retired Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) employee, adding that despite having to lose his election deposit of ₹25,000, the defeat “has not deterred his spirit”.
The candidate had previously contested in the MCD elections in 2022 from Kanjhawala, and is planning on contesting the upcoming State Assembly elections too.
“I have been a babu all my life [referring to his time at the MCD], but now is the time to work for the people,” he said.
Published - June 05, 2024 05:32 am IST
