The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is on the verge of securing a massive victory in Delhi, bringing an end to the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) decade-long rule and marking the saffron party’s return to power in the national capital after nearly three decades. The election results not only mark a political shift but also serve as a moment of reckoning for AAP and its leader, Arvind Kejriwal, whose past assertions about the BJP’s inability to defeat his party have now come back to haunt him.
An old video of Kejriwal, dating back to 2023, has resurfaced amid the political upheaval, in which he confidently claimed that the BJP could never defeat AAP in this lifetime. Addressing party workers at the time, he had accused the BJP of conspiring against AAP by orchestrating the liquor policy case, which led to the arrests of several top leaders, including former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and AAP MP Sanjay Singh.
"Narendra Modi ji wants to form a government in Delhi this way; they know they can't defeat us through elections," Kejriwal had declared defiantly. "I want to tell Narendra Modi ji that you cannot defeat us in this life, and you will have to take another birth to defeat us in Delhi."
Less than two years later, the BJP has not only dismantled AAP’s stronghold in Delhi but also inflicted a personal setback on Kejriwal himself. He lost his long-held New Delhi constituency to former MP Parvesh Verma by a margin of 4,089 votes. Kejriwal had won this seat since 2013, when he first dethroned Congress veteran Sheila Dikshit. His defeat symbolizes AAP’s crumbling dominance in Delhi, where it had once enjoyed near-total electoral control.
Another old video of Kejriwal has also gone viral, this time from a 2017 Delhi Assembly session. In it, he is seen asserting, "Hum Dilli ke maalik hai (We are the masters of Delhi). Ye log humare order ko manenge, hum Dilli chalanyenge (They will follow our orders; we will run Delhi)." The remark was made amid a heated power struggle between Kejriwal and the then-Lt Governor of Delhi over the extent of the Chief Minister’s authority. At the time, the statement had been cheered by AAP legislators, who saw it as a display of defiance. Today, in light of AAP’s electoral rout, the words appear ironic, as the party finds itself at the receiving end of political irrelevance.
AAP’s Rise and Fall: A Political Saga
AAP’s journey from a revolutionary anti-corruption movement to an embattled party on the verge of collapse has been nothing short of dramatic. The party first stormed to power in 2013, ending Congress leader Sheila Dikshit’s 15-year rule. However, Kejriwal’s tenure was short-lived—he resigned after 49 days, citing a lack of support from other parties to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill. This move was widely criticized, and many believed it to be a strategic blunder.
However, AAP made a grand comeback in 2015, winning an unprecedented 67 out of 70 seats, reducing both the BJP and Congress to political irrelevance in Delhi. The victory cemented Kejriwal’s reputation as a disruptor in Indian politics. The party repeated its dominance in 2020, winning 62 seats and securing a second consecutive term. But unlike its previous term, where it could still blame external factors for its governance challenges, AAP now had full accountability for its successes and failures.
Over time, the sheen of AAP’s governance model began to wear off. While the party continued to focus on welfare schemes such as free water, electricity subsidies, and mohalla clinics, voters increasingly grew frustrated with the lack of improvements in infrastructure, rising pollution levels, traffic congestion, and allegations of financial mismanagement. The BJP seized on these governance failures and coupled them with a strong campaign that targeted AAP’s credibility, particularly in light of the corruption allegations that emerged from the excise policy case.
The arrest of Kejriwal, Sisodia, and Sanjay Singh proved to be a major turning point. The BJP aggressively campaigned on the theme of corruption, branding AAP as a party that had strayed far from its anti-corruption roots. The saffron party’s campaign, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, used sharp and effective messaging to dismantle AAP’s public image. Slogans like ‘AAPda’ (disaster) were used to highlight what the BJP termed as AAP’s failure in governance. By focusing on core urban issues such as pollution, sanitation, public safety, and transportation, the BJP successfully connected with voters who were looking for change.
The Road Ahead: AAP’s National Ambitions in Jeopardy
The electoral defeat in Delhi is not just a setback for AAP but a potential death blow to its national aspirations. Over the past few years, Kejriwal has attempted to expand his party beyond Delhi, contesting elections in Punjab, Gujarat, Goa, and other states. The party’s most notable success came in Punjab in 2022 when it formed the state government. However, its attempts to replicate that success elsewhere have largely been unsuccessful.
With AAP losing its home turf in Delhi, the party’s ability to position itself as a national alternative to both the BJP and Congress is now under serious doubt. Additionally, Kejriwal’s political future remains uncertain, especially with the ongoing legal cases against him. His loss from the New Delhi seat, which had been a bastion for him, signals a dramatic fall in his popularity.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s return to power in Delhi marks a significant political shift. It signals the effectiveness of Modi’s leadership and the party’s ability to capitalize on voter sentiment. The Delhi elections were not just about local governance but also about the larger national political narrative, where the BJP continues to consolidate its influence.
As AAP grapples with its defeat, its future remains uncertain. Whether Kejriwal can revive his political fortunes or whether this marks the beginning of AAP’s decline will depend on how the party navigates the challenges ahead. However, for now, the verdict from Delhi’s voters is clear—AAP has been rejected, and the BJP has returned to power in the national capital after 27 years.
