New Delhi, Feb. 8 -- The 2025 Delhi Assembly elections proved to be a challenging battle for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which saw a significant decline in its political fortunes. Despite being a dominant force in the Capital for nearly a decade, the party could only secure 22 seats, a sharp contrast to its previous victories. Arvind Kejriwal, the face of AAP, humbly accepted the defeat, stating, "Whatever decision the people have made, we humbly accept it. The people's verdict is paramount".

The loss of several key leaders, including national convener Kejriwal, underscored the scale of AAP's defeat. Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made a strong comeback, winning 40 out of 70 seats and returning to power in Delhi after a long absence. The Indian National Congress, once a formidable force in the city, was completely shut out, failing to win a single seat, highlighting its further decline in influence.

Kejriwal congratulates BJP

Following AAP's defeat, Arvind Kejriwal, the face of the party, publicly acknowledged the people's verdict. In a video message, Kejriwal said, "Whatever decision the people have made, we humbly accept it. I wholeheartedly congratulate the Bharatiya Janata Party on this victory. I hope that they fulfill all the expectations and aspirations with which people have given them this mandate."

Reflecting on AAP's decade-long governance in Delhi, Kejriwal emphasized the party's efforts in improving education, healthcare, water supply, electricity, and infrastructure. He reiterated that AAP's primary focus had always been public service rather than the pursuit of power. "We did not enter politics for power; we see politics as a medium to serve the people," he said, underscoring the party's commitment to continuing its work for the welfare of Delhi's residents.

Kejriwal also expressed his gratitude to AAP's workers for their relentless dedication throughout the election campaign. "I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all Aam Aadmi Party workers. They fought an incredible election, worked extremely hard, and endured a lot during this entire election process."

Key leaders suffer defeats; Atishi secures victory in Kalkaji

Amid the setbacks, several prominent leaders from AAP, including Kejriwal himself, faced defeat in their respective constituencies. Arvind Kejriwal lost his seat in the New Delhi constituency to BJP's Parvesh Verma. This marked a significant blow to the party, as Kejriwal had resigned as Chief Minister in 2024 amid a corruption case linked to Delhi's scrapped liquor policy and had promised to return to power only after a "people's verdict."

Alongside Kejriwal, other senior leaders suffered defeats as well. Manish Sisodia, the former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, lost to BJP's Tarvinder Singh Marwah in Jangpura. Sisodia, who had switched constituencies from Patparganj to Jangpura for this election, had also been arrested in a corruption case linked to the liquor policy and spent significant time in jail. Saurabh Bhardwaj, another senior AAP leader, who had won the Greater Kailash seat multiple times, was defeated by BJP's Shikha Roy. Durgesh Pathak, a member of AAP's top decision-making bodies, lost to BJP's Umang Bajaj in the Rajinder Nagar constituency. Former Delhi Minister Satyendra Jain also faced a setback, losing to BJP's Karnail Singh in Shakur Basti, a seat he had held for two consecutive terms.

Despite these significant losses, Atishi emerged as a bright spot for AAP. She secured a hard-fought victory in the Kalkaji constituency, defeating BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri by a margin of 3,500 votes. Atishi, who had taken over as Delhi's Chief Minister in September 2024, became the youngest ever to hold the position at 43. Initially trailing in the vote count, Atishi surged ahead in the final rounds, reinforcing her position as a rising leader in AAP. Her victory in Kalkaji was one of the few highlights for the party amidst a difficult electoral outcome.

In her first reaction after the results, Atishi thanked the people of Kalkaji and said that "the party's war against BJP will continue."

Other AAP winners

In addition to Atishi, several other candidates from AAP emerged victorious in their constituencies. Sanjeev Jha from Burari, Anil Jhan from Kirari, Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat from Sultanpur Majra (SC), Som Dutt from Sadar Bazar, Punardeep Singh Sawhney from Chandni Chowk, Aaley Mohammed Iqbal from Matia Mahal, Imran Hussain from Ballimaran, Vishesh Ravi from Karol Bagh (SC), Jarnail Singh from Tilak Nagar, Virender Singh from Delhi Cantonment, Sahi Ram from Tughlakabad, Ram Singh Netaji from Badarpur, Amanatullah Khan from Okhla, Ravi Kant from Trilokpuri (SC), Kuldeep from Kondli (SC), Dr. Anil Goyal from Krishna Nagar, Gopal Rai from Babarpur, Surendra Kumar from Gokalpur (SC), and Umang Bajaj from Rajinder Nagar.

With the BJP now set to form the next government, Delhi will witness a new phase of governance. As AAP takes its position as the opposition, all eyes will be on how the party plans to rebuild and regain the trust of Delhi's electorate in future elections.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.