It’s start of honest politics: Kejriwal

"It is the start of honest politics," the 45-year-old Kejriwal told the media after it emerged that his party had finished second in the 70-member house with 28 seats. He congratulated the BJP and its chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan for coming on top with 32 seats -- four short of a majority. The Congress, which had ruled Delhi since 1998, was routed. It won only eight seats.

The Ramon Magsaysay award winner, who trounced Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in New Delhi constituency with a thumping margin of over 25,000 votes, said the AAP had shown that people with integrity could take to electoral politics -- and win. "This is not our victory, it is people's victory," he said.

The AAP, he said, fought the Delhi elections with a budget of Rs 20 crore, collecting the money from donors in a transparent manner. "The moment we reached the target, we put an end to the collection... This has never happened anywhere in the world." Both Congress and BJP leaders had dismissed AAP as a "non-actor." Making a brief appearance before party volunteers at his Hunuman Road office for the first time after the result was declared, he attributed his victory to the people of New Delhi Constituency.

"This is not my victory, it is a victory of people of New Delhi constituency and victory of democracy," he said.