Delhi election results 2025: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) broke its political drought in Delhi on Saturday, winning a majority and ending the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) 12-year dominance.
Several AAP giants, including national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, close aide Manish Sisodia, and Saurabh Bhardwaj, have struggled as the saffron party has grown in popularity.
These figures, who were previously at forefront of a ‘new politics’ agenda, confronted the Congress party over corruption issues while it was in power at both the national and Delhi levels.
However, 12 years later, they were overwhelmed with claims of corruption and failing to keep commitments made to the public.
Political commentator Rasheed Kidwai, who has authored SONIA- A Biography, breaks down the reasons behind AAP’s loss in the assembly elections, citing five key factors
Arvind Kejriwal failed to keep promises: Arvind Kejriwal’s inability to meet electoral promises has proven to be the most significant element in the Aam Aadmi Party’s loss of power in Delhi, according to Kidwai. “Arvind Kejriwal promised freebies to women voters, but legally, people knew he wouldn’t be able to fulfill them. His situation differed from those of Mamata Banerjee, Hemant Soren, Omar Abdullah, and Siddharamiah.”
Middle class voted for BJP: He said that the ‘great engine’ middle class, which had previously supported the BJP in national elections and the AAP in assembly elections, had not returned this time. “This explains the 9% reduction in AAP voters, which include chartered accountants, doctors, government employees, and businesses. Because of Kejriwal’s victimhood narrative, bitter tactics, and corruption claims, they shifted to the BJP,” said Kidwai.
AAP-Congress schism: The lack of an alliance between the AAP and Congress has also played a role. “Two and two don’t add up to four in politics. Kejriwal’s margin of defeat and the votes received by Sandeep Dikshit tell the story,” the political commentator added.
Civic concerns: He claimed that the AAP’s victory in the 2022 MCD elections had been negative, as issues such as crumbling roads, poor cleanliness, and insufficient water supply were connected with the civic body. However, Delhi voters make no distinction between the MCD and the Delhi government. “All these problems landed at Kejriwal’s doorstep,” she said.
Corruption claims: And ‘Sheesh Mahal’, it changed Arvind Kejriwal’s image of a ‘common man’, he said, adding, “Kejriwal has reacted to allegations forcefully, but in the Sheesh Mahal case, he could not come clean. He should have made it available to the public.”
(With insights from Hindustan Times)
