NEW DELHI: It was a "day of victory" for the capital's auto drivers -- the core supporters of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and who became the agents of its electioneering -- after the landslide victory of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party in the Delhi assembly polls.
Jubilant over the AAP's victory, several auto drivers even skipped their daily wage earning job and decided to celebrate the "aam aadmi's victory" or victory of the common man.
Auto drivers were prominent among those lustily cheering outside the AAP office, as the results poured in.
Pratap Chand, 65, a resident of Mangolpuri, who has been plying an auto for over 30 years, told IANS: "We don't get such happiness daily. This day is worth skipping my daily job. It's our (aam aadmi) victory."
Firoz Alam, 32, from Delhi-6, came to cheer in his auto, which he decorated with flowers and AAP posters. He spent Rs.1,200 on the decoration.
"I knew it would happen (AAP's victory). I was very confident that the party will win. Rs.1,200 doesn't matter to me, the only thing that matters is victory of our very own party," Alam told IANS.
On the expectations he has from the new government, Alam expressed hope that there will be a corruption-free government and police will not seize their vehicles unnecessarily for bribes.
"The police challan us (auto drivers) unnecessarily or on petty issues. The Kejriwal government will stop that. This government will work for aam aadmi," Alam told IANS.
Auto-rickshaws were a vital part of the AAP's Delhi campaign in 2013 and 2015, with posters bearing party slogans and pictures of Kejriwal plastered at the back while they ferried passengers across the city.
Salman Ansari, 26, a resident of Okhla, was standing since morning outside the AAP's headquarters in East Patel Nagar in west Delhi. He said: "All autowallahs unanimously voted for AAP."
"We were fed up of being continuously prosecuted by police, now police will stop harassing and taking money from us," Ansari told IANS.
Auto drivers were seen celebrating the party's victory in many parts of the city.
A jubilant auto-driver, wearing the AAP cap and holding the party's election symbol of broom said: "I am very happy that AAP is winning... Paanch Saal Kejriwal! (Five years to Kejriwal)".
There were at least 50-60 auto-drivers celebrating the AAP victory near the Akshardham flyover, holding brooms, dancing singing, raising slogans, wearing the party's trademark white cap.
Harinder Paswan, 48, a Pandav Nagar resident, told IANS: "The place where I reside has large number of rickshaw pullers, auto drivers and street vendors. We all voted for Kejriwal because he stood for us."
Resident of Trilokpuri, Dinesh Kumar, 26, said people voted for Kejriwal because he "raised his voice for us and now we helped him".
"We have a big problem of parking and harassment by the police. During its previous 49-day government the AAP stopped it," Kumar told IANS.
"Aakhir Satya ki jeet hui (finally truth won)," he added.