BJP’s Landslide Victory in Delhi Elections
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has ended a 27-year-long drought in the Delhi Assembly elections, ousting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from power after a decade. The BJP is now poised to form the government in the national capital, with the latest Election Commission trends showing the saffron party leading in 48 out of Delhi’s 70 seats, while AAP lags behind with 22 seats.
This electoral triumph comes after a high-intensity campaign, where several factors played a crucial role in BJP’s resurgence. One of the most significant aspects was the division within the opposition INDIA bloc, as AAP and Congress contested separately, turning the election into a three-way battle.
The Congress Factor in AAP’s Downfall
Despite failing to win any seats in Delhi for the third consecutive election (2015, 2020, and 2025), Congress secured a 6.39% vote share. This was enough to cause significant damage to AAP, as the grand old party’s presence proved to be the deciding factor in several key constituencies.
In 14 constituencies, the number of votes Congress received exceeded the margin by which BJP defeated AAP. This led to the shocking defeats of top AAP leaders, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, and key ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Somnath Bharti.
Key Constituencies Where Congress Played Spoiler
- New Delhi: BJP’s Parvesh Sahib Singh (30,088 votes) defeated Arvind Kejriwal (25,999 votes) by a margin of 4,089 votes. Congress’s Sandeep Dikshit secured 4,568 votes.
- Jungpura: BJP’s Tarvinder Singh Marwah (38,859 votes) edged out Manish Sisodia (38,184 votes) by 675 votes, while Congress’s Farhad Suri secured 7,350 votes.
- Greater Kailash: BJP’s Shikha Roy (winning margin: 3,188 votes) defeated AAP’s Saurabh Bharadwaj, while Congress’s Garvit Singhvi managed 6,711 votes.
- Malviya Nagar: BJP’s Satish Upadhyay won by 2,131 votes over AAP’s Somnath Bharti, while Congress’s Jitender Kochar garnered 6,770 votes.
Besides these VIP seats, Congress votes also played a crucial role in AAP’s losses in Badli, Chhatarpur, Madipur, Nangloi Jat, Rajender Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Timarpur, and Trilokpuri.
Notable Examples
- Badli: AAP’s Ajesh Yadav lost by 10,461 votes, while Congress’s Devender Yadav secured 31,130 votes.
- Nangloi Jat: BJP’s Manoj Kumar Shokeen defeated AAP’s Raghuvinder Shokeen by 26,251 votes, while Congress’s Rohit Choudhary received 32,028 votes.
- Timarpur: BJP’s Surya Prakash Khatri won by 969 votes, while Congress’s Lokendra Kalyan Singh secured 7,827 votes.
INDIA Bloc’s Disunity: A Boon for BJP
The failure of AAP and Congress to unite under the INDIA bloc banner was a significant reason for BJP’s overwhelming victory. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) openly criticized the internal discord within the opposition alliance, which they claimed paved the way for BJP’s success.
CPI(M) leader T P Ramakrishnan stated: “Congress failed to support the INDIA bloc effectively. If they had taken the initiative, we could have countered BJP’s rise.”
IUML leader P K Kunhalikutty also commented: “BJP does not have a strong voter base in Delhi. Their victory was a direct result of the opposition’s lack of unity.”
What Lies Ahead?
As the BJP prepares to form the government in Delhi after more than two decades, the opposition faces tough questions regarding its future strategies. The division among secular parties remains a challenge, and the INDIA bloc must reassess its approach if it hopes to prevent BJP’s continued dominance in upcoming elections.
With AAP losing its stronghold and Congress failing to make a comeback despite impacting the results, the political landscape of Delhi has undergone a significant transformation. The upcoming months will determine whether the opposition can mend its differences or if BJP’s resurgence in the capital will mark the beginning of a new political era.
