In a significant political shift, Narendra Modi’s ruling Hindu nationalist party has secured the most seats in the high-stakes state legislature election in India’s federal territory for the first time in over 25 years. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won 47 out of 70 seats in the assembly, which includes the capital, New Delhi, effectively displacing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which had been in power since 2015. The AAP managed to secure only 22 seats, with the outcome of one remaining seat still pending, as reported by the Election Commission of India.
The main opposition Congress party faced a setback, failing to win any seats for the third consecutive term. In a surprising turn of events, AAP founder and leader Arvind Kejriwal, along with his deputy Manish Sisodia, lost their seats despite the party’s popularity stemming from its welfare initiatives and anti-corruption efforts. In a video statement, Kejriwal expressed humility in accepting the people’s mandate and congratulated the BJP on its victory, hoping they would deliver on their election promises. He highlighted the significant work done in health, education, and infrastructure over the past decade and pledged that the AAP would serve as a constructive opposition while remaining engaged with the public.
BJP supporters celebrated outside the party headquarters, waving flags and chanting slogans as the vote results began to emerge, with most exit polls indicating a BJP victory. Amit Shah, India’s influential home minister, stated that the party’s win demonstrated that “people can’t be misled with lies every time.” He emphasized that under Modi’s leadership, the BJP aims to transform New Delhi into “the world’s No 1 capital” by fulfilling all its promises.
This victory is viewed as a significant boost for the BJP, especially after it struggled to secure a majority in last year’s national elections and had to rely on coalition partners to form the government. The party regained some ground by winning two state elections in northern Haryana and western Maharashtra last year. Prior to the election, Modi’s government reduced income taxes for the salaried middle class, a crucial voting demographic.
During the campaign, both Modi and Kejriwal promised to overhaul government schools, provide free health services and electricity, and offer a monthly stipend of over 2,000 rupees ($25) to impoverished women. Kejriwal had been arrested last year alongside two key party leaders on bribery charges related to a liquor distributor, which they denied, claiming it was a political conspiracy. The Supreme Court later granted bail to Kejriwal and the other ministers. Following this, Kejriwal stepped down as chief minister, handing over the position to senior party leader Atishi, who won her seat in the recent election.
