In a major upset, Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have lost the Delhi assembly election to the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after 27 years. The BJP, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is now set to govern the capital once again. Despite a sensational rise to power in 1993 on an anticorruption platform, Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia conceded defeat well before the final vote count was completed. The BJP, adorned in saffron, celebrated their victory as they crossed the majority mark of 35 seats in the 70-seat assembly. The AAP, which had won 63 seats in the previous election, saw their tally drop to 22 seats. This loss marks a significant turning point for Kejriwal and the AAP, as they transition from a people’s movement to a political party. The BJP’s micromanagement of constituencies and promises of development and good governance played a crucial role in their victory. The Congress party, India’s oldest party, failed to win a single seat in the election. Kejriwal’s arrest on corruption charges and Sisodia’s trial for money laundering added to the AAP’s challenges. The BJP’s dominance in Delhi politics signifies a new era in Indian politics, with the party now holding power at both the national and state levels. The AAP must regroup and strategize for the future after this unexpected defeat.
