The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) succummed to defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cruised to a comfortable victory and returned to power after 27 years. After a decade in power, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP’s seat count dropped from 67 in the 2015 election to just 22 in 2025.
Arvind Kejriwal accepted his party’s defeat and congratulated the BJP on its landslide victory, bringing the saffron party back to power in the national capital after more than two and a half decades.
BJP’s win in the capital is a testament to party’s growing influence in the apart from other huge factors like the obvious ‘Modi Lahar’.
Here are some of the key takeaways from BJP’s win in Delhi:
AAP’s lack of focus
After two consecutive AAP mandates in Delhi, the city is still dealing with pollution, water shortages, and failing infrastructure. However, Kejriwal has frequently blamed the Modi-led national administration for these problems.
“There is no progress in Delhi. “We don’t want AAP again,” a voter stated on election day.
Deteriorating trust
When the media interviewed voters in Delhi before the election, the majority voiced disappointment with the AAP. Many people complained that the party failed to focus on development efforts in the national capital and instead blamed everything on the central government.
“If AAP comes to power, its leaders will once again accuse the BJP-led central government for impeding their progress. If that’s going to continue, we might as well give the BJP a shot in Delhi—at the very least, we’ll see some change,” said one voter after casting their ballot. Clearly, AAP’s extraordinary rise over the previous decade appears to be diminishing.
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‘Modi lahar’ still very much on
As soon as the Delhi elections reached close, PM Modi launched the BJP’s electoral campaign with the “AAP-da” jibe, which energized the party’s cadre.
He then doubled down on his “Farziwal” dig at Arvind Kejriwal. The Prime Minister also used his reply to the motion of thanks on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha to highlight the anti-corruption charge with a “Sheesh Mahal” jab at Kejriwal and the AAP.
Following the Lok Sabha elections, there appears to be a purposeful effort by Modi to tailor his message to the state dynamics rather than making elections about himself. In Delhi, he constantly assured voters that all AAP social schemes would continue. In fact, even the BJP would outperform them.
Since becoming Prime Minister in 2014, Modi has played a crucial role in the saffron party’s several victories. He has had the highest approval rating among all global leaders for a long time.
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Divided INDIA bloc
The fissures in the INDIA block, as well as Congress’ persistent attacks, fueled the woos. Following their alliance against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the AAP and Congress split for the Haryana Assembly elections and contested independently in Delhi.
With both parties fielding candidates for all 70 seats, the anti-BJP vote is divided. Adding to AAP’s difficulties, other parties such as the BSP, Left, AIMIM, Azad Samaj Party, and NCP entered the contest, further fragmenting the opposition’s voting base.
