BJP Sweeps Delhi Assembly Elections, Ends AAP’s 10-Year Rule

New Delhi: After 27 years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has returned to power in Delhi with a two-thirds majority, ending the decade-long rule of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The BJP secured 48 seats in the 70-member Assembly, marking its strongest performance in the capital since 1993, when it had won 49 seats.

The AAP, which had dominated Delhi politics since 2013, suffered a massive setback, managing to win only 22 seats—far lower than the 62 it held in the previous Assembly. The party’s defeat was underscored by the loss of its Founder and National Convenor, Arvind Kejriwal, who was defeated in the prestigious New Delhi constituency, a seat he had won three times consecutively.

The Congress continued its decline in Delhi, failing to win a single seat for the third consecutive time. Most of its candidates even lost their security deposits.

Modi Hails Victory, Kejriwal Accepts Defeat

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who spearheaded the BJP’s campaign, hailed the landslide victory, stating, “Development wins and good governance triumphs.” He assured Delhiites that his party would work tirelessly for the city’s progress.

In a video message, Arvind Kejriwal conceded defeat and promised to serve as a constructive opposition. “I humbly accept the people’s mandate and congratulate the BJP. I hope they fulfill the promises made to Delhi,” he said.

Congress leaders also responded to the outcome. Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, reaffirmed the party’s commitment to fighting issues like pollution, inflation, and corruption. Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra acknowledged the people’s demand for change, adding, “We must work harder and be more responsive to the people’s concerns.”

Key Results and Big Upsets

BJP’s Parvesh Verma emerged as the giant slayer by defeating former CM Arvind Kejriwal in the New Delhi constituency by over 4,000 votes. Other AAP heavyweights also faced defeat, including:

• Manish Sisodia, former Deputy Chief Minister, lost to BJP’s Tarvinder Singh Marwah by over 600 votes.
• Saurabh Bharadwaj, an incumbent minister, was defeated by BJP’s Shikha Roy by 3,188 votes.

However, Atishi and Gopal Rai provided a silver lining for AAP. Atishi won the Kalkaji seat by defeating BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri with a margin of 3,521 votes, while Gopal Rai secured Babarpur with a nearly 19,000-vote margin.

BJP’s Key Victories

Prominent BJP winners included:

• Kapil Mishra (Karawal Nagar)
• Manjinder Singh Sirsa (Rajouri Garden)
• Mohan Singh Bisht (Mustafabad)
• Kailash Gahlot, a former AAP leader, who won Bijwasan after switching to BJP.
• Satish Upadhyay, who defeated ex-Delhi Minister Somnath Bharti in Malviya Nagar.

Other notable BJP victors were Raj Kumar Chauhan (Mangol Puri), Vijender Gupta (Rohini), Karnail Singh (Shakur Basti), and Arvinder Singh Lovely (Gandhi Nagar).

Vote Share Breakdown

The BJP secured 45.56% of the total votes, while AAP followed closely with 43.57%. The Congress could only garner 6.34%, reinforcing its dwindling influence in Delhi politics.

A New Political Era in Delhi

The BJP last ruled Delhi in 1993 before losing to the Congress in 1998. Since then, it had remained in the opposition. The AAP had created a political storm in 2013, forming a government for 49 days with Congress’ support before securing a massive mandate in 2015 and 2020. However, this election marks a dramatic shift in Delhi’s political landscape, as the BJP now takes charge of the capital after nearly three decades.