AAP’s Defeat in Delhi Raises Questions About the Party’s Future

Krishnamohan Jha

The results of the Delhi Assembly elections have paved the way for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to return to power after 27 years. By securing 48 out of 70 seats, BJP has comfortably crossed the majority mark. In contrast, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had secured a sweeping mandate in both 2015 and 2020, has been reduced to just 22 seats. Key leaders of AAP, including its convener and former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and senior leaders such as Saurabh Bharadwaj, Satyendar Jain, and Somnath Bharti, failed to retain their seats. However, Atishi Marlena managed to win the Kalkaji seat, defeating BJP’s former MP Ramesh Bidhuri. Meanwhile, Congress failed to win even a single seat, with prominent leaders like Sandeep Dikshit and Alka Lamba suffering humiliating defeats.

Reacting to the election results, Jammu and Kashmir’s former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah commented, “Keep fighting among yourselves”, in an apparent jibe at the INDIA bloc’s internal divisions. His remarks indicate that AAP’s and Congress’s internal conflicts played a significant role in BJP’s landslide victory. Notably, Omar Abdullah’s National Conference is also a part of the INDIA alliance, alongside Congress and AAP. While TMC and Samajwadi Party supported AAP, the bitter rivalry between AAP and Congress during the campaign did not sit well with other alliance members.

Although this was an election for just one Union Territory’s Assembly, it drew nationwide attention. The BJP’s resounding victory after 27 years has once again reaffirmed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unparalleled popularity. With Kejriwal losing his seat by over 3,000 votes to BJP’s Pravesh Verma, there is speculation that Verma may be appointed as the new Chief Minister of Delhi.

Kejriwal’s Waning Aura

Like in the previous three elections, AAP’s campaign was led entirely by Arvind Kejriwal. Having placed Atishi Marlena as the party’s CM candidate, Kejriwal had devoted himself completely to the campaign. Even AAP’s campaign songs focused solely on Kejriwal’s leadership, but this time, his charisma seemed to have faded. Unlike in the past, both BJP and Congress put up a strong fight, turning the election into a triangular contest.

For Kejriwal, winning the New Delhi seat proved to be an uphill battle as he faced two formidable opponents—Congress’s Sandeep Dikshit and BJP’s Pravesh Verma. Notably, Dikshit is the son of former CM Sheila Dikshit, while Verma is the son of former CM Sahib Singh Verma. Throughout his campaign, Kejriwal aggressively targeted both parties, but Congress and BJP retaliated by exposing AAP’s governance failures.

On critical issues like Yamuna’s cleanliness, pollution control, and road infrastructure, Kejriwal’s government found itself on the defensive. His failure to clean the Yamuna despite repeated promises led him to publicly apologize to Delhi’s voters. Furthermore, his accusation that Haryana’s government was contaminating the Yamuna was widely dismissed as baseless, drawing criticism from both BJP and Congress. The alleged liquor scam, which led to the arrest of senior AAP leaders, also played a significant role in tarnishing the party’s image.

Another factor that hurt Kejriwal was the perception of his lavish lifestyle, which contradicted AAP’s image as a party of the common man. BJP and Congress repeatedly attacked him on this issue, and Kejriwal failed to provide a convincing rebuttal. Additionally, underestimating Congress proved costly, as the party mounted a serious challenge, despite knowing that a weakened AAP would ultimately benefit BJP.

Although Congress failed to win any seats, AAP’s defeat might benefit it in the INDIA bloc, as Kejriwal will no longer be in a position to challenge Rahul Gandhi’s leadership. However, Congress’s aggressive campaign against AAP might also strain their alliance in the long run.

What’s Next for AAP?

Now that BJP has returned to power in Delhi after 27 years, Kejriwal faces an existential crisis. Neither he nor his party has enough seats to be a strong opposition force in the Assembly. AAP’s decline in Delhi could also destabilize its government in Punjab, where it currently holds power. The biggest challenge for Kejriwal is maintaining his authority within his own party, as his unquestioned leadership is now under serious threat.

(The author is a senior journalist and political analyst)