APP Defeat in Delhi and Future Agenda | Sher Singh Sangwan

In the Delhi Assembly elections, BJP defeated the Aam Aadmi Party by winning 48 seats out of 70 on 8th February 2025. It is the outcome of BJP’s five-year agenda after AAP’s win in 2019. The BJP may not have taken AAP seriously after its win in 2015, though it started using the Lt Governor to its advantage from the very beginning. But after AAP’s consecutive win in Delhi in 2019 and then winning two seats in Goa, 92 seats out of 117 in Punjab and five seats in Gujarat; BJP felt APP was a threat. After AAP was recognised as a National Party in 2023, the BJP took AAP as a more serious competitor than the Congress Party. The BJP leadership always played football with the wording of Rahul Gandhi to its advantage, whereas; Kejriwal and its other leaders were smarter than the BJP in propaganda and creating narratives. Even the operation lotus failed to break their party.

Thereafter, the BJP planned to systematically destroy the functioning of the Delhi government by taking control of Central cadre officers. A Constitutional Bench of five Supreme Court Judges gave a ruling on 11 May 2023 in favour of the elected government to have control over administrative services. But BJP promptly overturned the SC judgement by bringing an ordinance on May 19 itself to make LG the administrative head. Prima facie, BJP revoked the Constitutional Provision but the SC is also subdued in deciding on the petition filed about the constitutional validity of the new law. Thereafter, the BJP has covertly used the Juggernaut of Central agencies, like the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Lt Governor, Delhi Police and income tax authorities with full might against AAP as well as other opposition leaders. All the leaders starting with Staynder Jain, Manish Sisodia, Sanjay Singh and the Kejriwal CM himself were sent to jail in the so-called liquor bribery cases. It jeopardised the functioning of the APP-Goverment for people and also labelled the APP as a harbinger of corruption. However, the SC has given bail to all the accused in the absence of any concrete proof by ED. It is well known that obliging political supporters is one of the aims of all political parties in India and abroad. Even the BJP may have obliged those who contributed through electoral bonds and other donations. Anyhow, the BJP succeeded in denting the image of AAP as a transparent party.

Just before nominations for the election, BJP played trick to add votes of its workers from outside Delhi and get deleted the votes of APP sympathisers in z as big way. As per reports in media as many as 37000 votes were reduced in New Delhi Assembly over the last 5 years. It is said this trick may have been played in Maharashtra elections too at a small scale. It may be played in the coming elections of states.

Providing free drinking water in the colonies of poor by APP was mystified by a whimsical campaign of the BJP. Bad road conditions were also highlighted selectively. In both these issues congress reiterated the BJP campaign. In fact in the elections of Haryana, Maharashtra, and Delhi; the Congress has proved itself as anti INDIA block. In the Haryana assembly election, it out-rightly denied alliance with the APP which proved one of the reasons for its loss against BJP. Similarly, in Delhi, the Congress Party vigorously fought against APP and caused the latter to lose in as many as 13 seats. Congress role can aptly be described as, ’ham to dube hai sanam, tujhe bhi le cubage’. INDIA alliance of opposition parties has to think about its leader who may encourage good individual players (party) instead of ditching them selectively to maintain its hegemony.

The final blow was the timing of the Central budget presentation on February 1, when campaigning was at its peak and AAP has raised the bogie of neglecting middle class by BJP. The budget gave an unprecedented and unexpected jump in the tax-free limit from Rs 7 lakh to 12 Rs lakh. The middle class living in Delhi, especially in core Delhi areas got a big relief of about Rs50000 per person. This cash relief gave an expected dividend of 2 to 3 percent of votes to BJP which may have proved crucial in confirming their victory. All the above factors taken together decreased the vote share of APP from 53.57 % in 2020 to 43.57% in 2025, whereas BJP increased its share from 38.51% in 2020 to 45.56% in 2025 and won 48 seats.

Notwithstanding, AAP’s core agenda of improvement in Government schools and Hospitals including Mohalla clinics and free electricity to the poor was not much dented during the election campaign. It means the AAP model of good school education and health facilities to people is intact. Hence, this is one of the strongest mottos for the future agenda of the APP for other states.

At present, there is a vacuum of reliable opposition parties in Haryana. Congress is unable to elect its leader of opposition in the state despite its 39 MLAs in total 90. Bhupender Singh Hooda, Ex CM has the support of the majority of MLAs but his image has come down in the state as he has ditched his party men to maintain his hegemony. Congress is unlikely to improve under his leadership while its other leaders have either been suppressed or left the party due to their negligence in the last years. The political clout of the Chautalas is on the verge of dying in the states. Therefore, AAP may have more acceptability in the next elections. APP has to work hard to convince the people about its model of governance and priorities. Some other issues like the central location of its state capital, High Court, RBI, NABARD, et al can be the rallying slogans. Besides, the western UP is another prospectus area for APP to implement its model. Of course, APP leaders have to remain in contact with Delhi residents who will soon realise the inability of the BJP leadership to deliver on its promises in the election.

(Author: Dr Sher Singh Sangwan, Former Professor of SBI Chair at CRRID)