After 27 years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has staged a dramatic comeback in Delhi, unseating the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and ending its decade-long rule. The victory marks a sweeping reversal from the 2020 elections, when the BJP had managed only a single-digit tally.
The BJP secured 47 seats and led in one more, comfortably surpassing the majority mark of 36 in the 70-member Delhi Assembly. AAP, which had dominated the last two elections, won 22 seats, suffering a severe setback. Meanwhile, the Congress party failed to make any impact, recording a third consecutive election without winning a single seat.
Key Highlights of the Delhi Election Results
The BJP won with a 45.56% vote share, while AAP followed closely with 43.57%. Congress trailed far behind with just 6.34% of the votes, reflecting its continued decline in the capital’s political landscape.
The saffron party’s resurgence saw the defeat of several AAP heavyweights. In one of the biggest upsets, BJP’s Parvesh Verma defeated Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency. Kejriwal, who had held the seat since 2013, lost by a margin of 4,089 votes after consistently trailing throughout the counting process.
Former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia faced a similar fate, losing to BJP’s Tarvinder Singh Marwah in Jangpura. After nine rounds of counting, Sisodia was behind by 572 votes. Accepting his defeat, he stated, “We fell short by 600 votes. Hope they [BJP] will focus on the progress and welfare of the people.”
However, AAP’s Atishi managed to secure a crucial win against BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri in Kalkaji, while Health Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj lost to BJP’s Shikha Roy in Greater Kailash by 3,188 votes after initially leading.
Another significant loss for AAP came in Patparganj, where Manish Sisodia’s replacement, Avadh Ojha, conceded to BJP’s Ravinder Singh Negi by over 21,000 votes. Reflecting on his defeat, Ojha stated, “It’s my personal defeat. I couldn’t connect to people… I’ll meet the people and will contest the next election from here.”
As the BJP celebrated its landslide victory, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed gratitude to the voters. “People’s power is supreme. They ensured that development and good governance won. We guarantee that we will leave no stone unturned to ensure the all-round development of Delhi and to make the lives of its people better,” he said.
Acknowledging the party’s defeat, Kejriwal released a video message accepting the public’s verdict. He assured supporters that AAP would regroup and serve as a responsible opposition. “We are not in politics for power, instead we consider it as a medium to serve people,” he said.
The elections, held on February 5, saw a voter turnout of 60.54%, which was about 2.5 percentage points lower than in 2020. Mustafabad recorded the highest voter turnout at 69.01%, while Mehrauli had the lowest at 53.02%.
Delhi voters weighed everyday concerns like water supply, drainage, and garbage management against high-profile campaign issues. The BJP successfully leveraged Kejriwal’s controversial bungalow renovation—dubbed “sheesh mahal”—along with corruption allegations to shift public sentiment. Meanwhile, AAP blamed governance challenges on interference from Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena, but this argument failed to gain traction.
BJP’s Resurgence and AAP’s Downfall
The BJP’s decisive victory has ended the AAP’s 12-year hold on Delhi politics, with several of its senior leaders suffering humiliating defeats. Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Saurabh Bharadwaj, once at the forefront of an anti-corruption movement that unseated Congress, now find themselves on the receiving end of similar allegations.
Political analyst Rasheed Kidwai identified five key reasons for AAP’s electoral downfall:
Unfulfilled Promises: Arvind Kejriwal’s inability to deliver on key promises proved to be the biggest factor in AAP’s loss. “Arvind Kejriwal promised freebies to women voters, but legally, people knew he wouldn’t be able to fulfill them. His case was different from Mamata Banerjee, Hemant Soren, Omar Abdullah, or Siddharamiah,” Kidwai noted.
Shift in Middle-Class Support: The middle class, which previously supported AAP in assembly elections while voting for BJP in national polls, did not return this time. Kidwai explained, “This explains the nine percent drop in AAP voters, including chartered accountants, doctors, government servants, and businesspeople. Due to Kejriwal’s victimhood narrative, confrontational politics, and corruption allegations, they shifted to the BJP.”
Lack of an AAP-Congress Alliance: The absence of a coalition between AAP and Congress also played a role. In 65 constituencies, Congress candidates failed to make a significant impact, yet they still dented AAP’s vote share. “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,” Kidwai observed.
Civic Issues and Voter Perception: AAP’s victory in the 2022 Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) elections backfired, as governance issues such as broken roads, cleanliness, and inadequate water supply were attributed to the party. Delhi voters did not differentiate between the responsibilities of the MCD and the state government, leading to frustration with Kejriwal’s administration. “All these problems landed at Kejriwal’s doorstep,” Kidwai pointed out.
Corruption Allegations and “Sheesh Mahal”: The controversy surrounding Kejriwal’s expensive bungalow renovation severely damaged his image as a “common man” leader. “Kejriwal has reacted to allegations vigorously, but in the Sheesh Mahal case, he could not come clear. He should have thrown it open for the public,” Kidwai remarked.
The BJP’s victory in Delhi marks a significant political shift, reinforcing the party’s dominance at both the state and national levels. As AAP regroups, its leaders will have to reassess their strategy and address the concerns that led to their downfall. Meanwhile, the BJP will now be under pressure to deliver on its promises and maintain the confidence of Delhi’s electorate.