Arvind Kejriwal at the AAP victory rally at Jantar Mantar in Delhi
It's a sea of white caps at Jantar Mantar, where Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party is celebrating its dream election debut.
On stage, which has as backdrop a giant photograph of a smiling Arvind Kejriwal, AAP leaders are addressing a crowd of about 4,500 people, among them party volunteers and voters, people who ensured that a political party launched just a year ago by a tax-commissioner-turned-activist, won 28 of Delhi's 70 Assembly seats, decimating the incumbent Congress, which was reduced to a humiliating eights seats.
There is an air of disbelief, excitement and anticipation as people from all over the country, who worked flat out for that stupendous result, gather to discuss next steps.
Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to address the victory rally soon and will explain why he has refused to give government formation a shot in Delhi, which has a hung assembly with no party getting a clear majority. He is also expected to share AAP's political plans, including contesting the general elections due by May.
AAP placed second, only three seats short of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 31 in Delhi; both parties are adamant that the people have not given them the mandate to rule and so they would like to sit in the opposition.
"He has decided to meet the party volunteers so that he can instruct them and ask them to be prepared for the next challenge, which could be re-election in Delhi," senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas told IANS.
It has been two days since election results were declared. If no party stakes claim to form government soon, Delhi's Lt Governor Najib Jung will be forced to recommend imposition of President's Rule in the state, and fresh elections will be held within six months.
The BJP too asked its newly-elected MLAs yesterday to prep for fresh elections. The party's chief ministerial candidate Harsh Vardhan said today, "Let AAP form government with Congress support. We are mentally prepared for everything."
AAP has ruled out supporting a BJP-led government. It has also ruled out forming government with the help of the Congress.