New Delhi, 8 February 2025- As the counting of votes for the Delhi Assembly elections progressed on Saturday, dismay and joy erupted throughout the capital. However, the Congress headquarters on Rouse Avenue remained emotionless, with stillness reigning.
The Congress office, devoid of party workers except for a couple of caretakers, appeared to be a far cry from the hub of activity it once was. Dogs rested peacefully in the mild winter sunlight, children from the slum behind the office laughed and played, and a few reporters basked in the sun, discussing the Delhi Assembly election results.
Apart from a few chairs for the media, the office had no preparations for the counting day. No screens displayed the vote count for individual seats, and no TV screen broadcasted the live results analysis. The only indication that an election had recently taken place were the blue and pink billboards of Devendra Yadav and Rahul Gandhi placed over the office premises, pledging to give Rs 2,500 to women if elected in Delhi.
At one point, one of the reporters present at the office seemed to break out of their sun-soaked reverie and ask, “What are we doing here? Shall we go?” Another reporter waved him away saying, “Just take in the sun and watch the results.”
The atmosphere in the office remained unchanged as word of the BJP’s surge ahead during the vote count spread. The two office caregivers sat down for lunch, unconcerned about the results. The reporters continued to debate. The dogs remained asleep, but the children yelled and ran, following tyres with sticks.