AAP wins Doda seat in J&K polls, Kejriwal congratulates candidate Mehraj Malik in video call

AAP candidate Mehraj Malik defeated his nearest rival from the BJP in the Doda constituency by a margin of 4,538 votes.

Party chief Arvind Kejriwal made a video call to congratulate and said: "The workers are very happy that now we have an AAP MLA in Jammu and Kashmir."

AAP, which is in power in Delhi and Punjab, has MLAs in Gujarat and Goa. In Jammu and Kashmir, it fielded seven candidates in the 90-member assembly.

Speaking to Malik, Kejriwal praised him for "doing good work" and said, "People are with you".

Mehraj Malik thanked him and also extended him an invitation to visit Kashmir on Thursday.

"Sir, you have to be here on October 10 as I had communicated through Sanjayji. After my victory, the people of Doda deserve a visit from you. On the 10th at 2 pm, we will wait for you. The public here will wait for you," Malik said.

The Delhi Chief Minister accepted his invitation and promised to visit on October 10. "I will come. I will come for sure on the 10th," he said.

The jubilant leader also requested Kejriwal to stay on the line as he collected his certificate from the returning officer.

In Jammu and Kashmir, which concluded a historic election to pick its government after a decade and post abrogation of Article 370, the National Conference-Congress alliance has swept, bagging 49 of the 90 seats.

Meanwhile, upsetting exit poll predictions, the BJP, which failed to secure an absolute majority in the Lok Sabha polls earlier this year leading to a coalition government, salvaged its prestige in Haryana by bouncing back on Tuesday for a historic third consecutive term by bagging 49 of the 90 seats in the state assembly.