A poster dedicating BJP victory to Sukma martyrs was seen outside BJP headquarters.
As the results in Delhi's civic elections indicated a huge victory for the BJP, the party dedicated it to the CRPF men who died in Sukma. Within minutes of the first leads coming in early on Wednesday morning, a huge hoarding was seen outside the party headquarters.
The message on it read: "Maa tujhe salaam (We salute the motherland). This victory is dedicated to the martyrs of Sukma" - a reference to Monday's Maoist attack in Chhattisgarh that left 25 securitymen dead. The hoarding carried photographs of of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party chief Amit Shah and Delhi unit president Manoj Tiwari.
As the trends became clearer, indicating a huge mandate and a third term for the BJP in all three civic bodies of Delhi, senior leaders of the party, including party spokesperson Sambit Patra, reiterated the message. Manoj Tiwari said the party has decided to keep the celebrations muted. "We would have been on the streets by now. But we are deeply saddened by the tragedy in Sukma. We lay our victory at the feet of our martyrs," the chief of Delhi BJP said.
At the time, the BJP was maintaining leads over their AAP and Congress rivals in most of the 270 wards, voting for which was held on Sunday.
Chhattisgarh, a BJP-ruled state, has long been a part of the Maoist bastion. For years, the security forces had conducted operations to purge Maoists from the area. Monday's ambush in Sukma had left 25 men of the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force) dead. Six others injured are battling for their lives.
The attack, worst in seven years, had left the country shocked. A month ago, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the anti-Maoist operation has had a huge success, bringing down the number of attacks and a spurt in the number of surrendered and captured Maoists.
After Monday's attack, the minister said it was being read as a "challenge". But at the same time, fresh figures from the government claimed the number of Maoist-hit districts in the country was shrinking.