The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday welcomed the announcement of dates for the Delhi Assembly polls and expressed confidence of achieving majority and forming a good government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership.
"We welcome the announcement of the election dates. Whatever the Election Commission decides, it is applicable to everyone. And it is now an opportunity for the people of Delhi to have a government of their choice," said BJP leader Nalin Kohli.
"After one year that has passed because in between there was a government for a few days and we saw what happened, it is also an opportunity for Delhi to be part of the developmental mainstream as under Prime Minister Modi we are seeing in the country and in state after state where the people are electing the BJP. We hope we also receive the blessings of the people of Delhi to form a good government here," he added.
BJP leader G.V.L. Narasimha Rao echoing similar sentiments said that his party is fully geared up to post a big victory in the Delhi elections.
"And just as in Lok Sabha elections when people delivered a massive mandate to the BJP, we are confident of winning a big majority, a two-third plus majority in Delhi Assembly," he added.
Another BJP leader Sambit Patra also welcomed the announcement of election dates and said this will be the comeback of governance in Delhi.
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"We welcome this decision. There has been no stable government for nearly a year, this will be the comeback of governance," he said.
BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain on his part said that his party is fully prepared and will win the elections in Delhi.
"We are prepared. The BJP will win and the Chief Minister will be from our party," he said.
The Election Commission earlier in the day announced that the Delhi Assembly polls will take place on February 7 and the counting of the votes will take place on February 10.
"You are aware of the dissolution of the erstwhile legislative assembly by Presidential order, dated November 4, 2014. Legally, the commission, as per the principle, laid down by the Supreme Court of India the commission can take six months time for holding the next general elections," Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) VS Sampath told the media.
"However, since the dissolution of the President will expire by February 15, 2015 and in order to restore the mandate of the people as expeditiously as possible, the commission has decided to go in for elections where results will be known well before February 15," he added
Sampath further said there are 70 assembly constituencies in Delhi of which 12 are reserved for SCs.
Delhi has been under President's rule since February after the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government stepped down after 49 days in power.