The Delhi Election Result. Saffron represents the BJP. Blue represents the AAP.
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) last came to power in the Delhi Assembly in 1993. In that election, it won 49 out of 70 seats, securing a clear majority. It was then that Madan Lal Khurana became the first BJP Chief Minister of Delhi.
Since then, the BJP never won a majority in the Delhi Assembly elections. But this time, the party is again back in power in Delhi after a span of 27 long years, by winning 48 out of the 70 seats. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had dominated the last three Delhi elections of 2013, 2015, and 2020, is the only other political party in the State Legislative Assembly with 22 seats, and will for the first time since its formation, will play the role of the opposition in the House.
Under these circumstances, it would be apt to analyse the reasons for the BJP victory in Delhi against the backdrop of the fact that the Congress Party, like in 2015 and 2020, this time again failed to open its account.
In the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections, several factors contributed to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) success:
- Anti-Incumbency Sentiment: After two consecutive terms under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), voters exhibited a desire for change, expressing dissatisfaction with AAP’s governance.
- Leadership and Campaign Strategy: The BJP’s campaign, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, effectively communicated promises to improve public services, including education, healthcare, and financial aid to underprivileged women.
- Economic Policies: The recent federal budget’s reduction in income taxes for the salaried middle class resonated with a significant segment of Delhi’s electorate, bolstering support for the BJP.
- Legal Challenges for AAP Leadership: The arrest of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on corruption charges weeks before the election may have eroded public trust in the party, despite his claims of political vendetta.
The AAP’s downfall could be attributed to issues like unfulfilled promises, allegations of mismanagement in schools and hospitals, and water supply problems, which, along with corruption allegations and leadership crises, alienated voters.
Moreover, AAP’s once-strong grassroots volunteer network weakened over time due to internal rifts and disillusionment among former supporters, and even the Congress Party, which had been weak in Delhi, managed to regain some lost ground, further splitting AAP’s vote base.
The Congress Party lacked strong leadership in Delhi. Unlike the BJP and the AAP, it also lacked a strong ground-level organization in Delhi. The party’s campaign was disorganized and failed to connect with voters effectively. It had previously relied on Muslim and Dalit voters, but a large section of these groups continued to support AAP, and the Congress could not win back its core voter base, leading to a further decline. Moreover, many opposition voters consolidated behind AAP to prevent a BJP victory, further weakening the Congress Party.
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- Who will be the next Chief Minister of Delhi?
- Delhi win showcases BJP’s ability to recapture urban centres
- The rise and fall of Arvind Kejriwal in Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popularity and the BJP’s promises of better governance, too, resonated with voters. His promises of tax cuts and economic growth appealed to the voters. Hence, the middle-class and trader support shifted to the BJP as the AAP lost their support due to concerns over policies affecting businesses and infrastructure projects.
The BJP scrutinized its Opposition’s weakness deftly, realised the voter polarization between the Lotus and the Broom and ensured that the election remained primarily a contest between the BJP and AAP, leaving Congress sidelined. It then moved to nail the AAP by capitalizing on AAP’s legal troubles, positioning itself as a corruption-free alternative.
As the BJP’s strong campaign and Modi factor fetched the party rich dividend this election, the role of the new chief minister will therefore be under sharp public scrutiny given the fact that the Hindutva plank hardly worked for the saffron brigade in this cosmopolitan city-state.
The BJP is expected to announce its choice for the new Chief Minister soon. Potential candidates include Parvesh Verma, who won the New Delhi constituency by defeating AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal, and Vijender Gupta, who has won consecutively for the third time.
Until the new Chief Minister is sworn in, Atishi Marlena of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) continues to serve as the caretaker Chief Minister. She assumed office in September 2024 following Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation due to corruption charges.
– global bihari bureau
