New Delhi, Feb. 9 -- The Aam Aadmi Party's crushing defeat in Delhi - from 62 seats in 2020 to just 22 in 2025 - traces back to three critical missteps: alienating its grassroots workers, persistent blame-shifting, and neglecting basic civic infrastructure.

Party insiders paint a picture of growing disconnect between the leadership and ground workers, a claim supported by electoral data. The AAP fielded just 37 of its 62 incumbent MLAs, with fresh candidates contesting in 33 constituencies. The results were telling: while 40.5% of incumbent MLAs retained their seats, only 21.2% of fresh candidates won -- a dramatic decline from 2020 when AAP's strike rate was 93% for incumbents and 86% for new candidates.

Of those that the party dropped...