Delhi Election Results: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was leading on 41 assembly seats in Delhi while the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was ahead on 29, according to counting trends on the Election Commission. The trends showed the saffron party ahead in 41 seats, well above the majority mark of 36. If the early trends are converted into the results, it would be a heroic return for the saffron party, marking an end to the 27-year-long drought in the national capital.
The BJP, out of power in Delhi since 1998, fought nail and tooth to dislodge the AAP which has been dominating since 2013. In the last two assembly elections in 2015 and 2020, the AAP routed the BJP restricting it to three and eight seats, respectively. Arvind Kejriwal-led party – once considered invincible in Delhi – is set to receive its first defeat in the assembly elections in the national capital.
Here are the reasons that probably caused the historical victory of the BJP:
Corruption cases: AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, party number two leader Manish Sisodia, party MP Sanjay Singh and several other party leaders were jailed in the liquor scam case. However, they later got bail from the court. Yet, the irreparable damage on their ‘kattar imaandaar’ image was made. The BJP kept launching scathing attacks on the AAP leaders. AAP’s then minister Satyendar Jain also spent months inside the jail in the money laundering case.
AAP’s unfulfilled promises: The BJP highlighted the promises made by Kejriwal during the last elections. The saffron party went to people reminding them AAP’s unfulfilled poll promises, particularly about Yamuna cleaning, construction of schools and colleges, pure water and cleanliness.
BJP’s welfare schemes: The BJP, during the poll campaigns, promised to carry forward welfare schemes being run by the AAP government. The saffron party emphasised that it won’t stop freebies.
Women voters: Bharatiya Janata Party’s ‘Mahila Samridhi Yojana’ to provide Rs 2,500 per month as financial support to women seems to be successful in convincing women voters to shift from AAP to the saffron party. Traditionally, women voters support the BJP but Delhi was exceptional. Now, it appears, the BJP succeeded in denting the women’s vote bank of the AAP.
Yamuna poisoning: When Kejriwal made a sensational allegation that the BJP government in Haryana conspired to kill people in Delhi by poisoning Yamuna water, it was difficult to digest for many as it was the first experience for the Delhi polity to see such political rhetoric. From Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, opened a front against the AAP chief, which probably went against the Delhi ruling party.
