In a stunning electoral upset, Delhi former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has lost his New Delhi Assembly seat to Parvesh Verma, a former two-time BJP Member of Parliament. The defeat comes as a major blow to both Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is facing a near-complete rout in the 2025 Delhi Assembly Elections.
Kejriwal, who had held the New Delhi constituency since 2013, finished approximately 1,200 votes behind Verma in a fiercely contested battle. The Congress’ Sandeep Dikshit, son of late Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, trailed in third place. The results are expected to reignite discussions about the rift within the INDIA bloc, with critics questioning whether a pre-election alliance between AAP and Congress might have saved Kejriwal’s seat, even if not his government.
Parvesh Verma’s victory marks a significant comeback for the BJP leader, whom the party had held back from contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The 46-year-old leader, son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma, has been a key BJP strategist in Delhi’s political circles.
Shortly after the win, Verma expressed gratitude to the voters of New Delhi and credited his victory to the ‘double-engine government’—referring to the BJP’s control over both the Centre and now, potentially, Delhi.
“I thank the people of New Delhi for their support. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, we will ensure that Delhi sees real development,” Verma told reporters. He is expected to meet Amit Shah later today, sparking speculation that he could be in contention for the Chief Minister’s post.
Kejriwal’s defeat is part of a larger electoral disaster for AAP. At 1 PM, the BJP was leading in 48 out of Delhi’s 70 Assembly seats, with AAP ahead in just 22. The results all but confirm the end of AAP’s 10-year rule in Delhi, with the party struggling to recover from multiple setbacks, including corruption allegations and infighting.
Adding to the crisis, AAP’s former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia also withdrew from his contest in Janakpuri, underscoring the party’s dwindling fortunes. Kejriwal’s failure to secure a third consecutive term is now being viewed as a major turning point in Delhi’s political landscape.
Political analysts have cited several key reasons for AAP’s massive downfall:
Corruption Charges: The Delhi liquor excise policy scam, in which both Kejriwal and Sisodia were implicated, significantly damaged AAP’s credibility. Repeated attacks from the BJP over corruption allegations weakened Kejriwal’s clean-governance image.
Shift in Women Voters: Women, traditionally a strong support base for AAP, pivoted towards the BJP. BJP’s extensive outreach, including women-centric welfare programs, appears to have paid off.
Middle-Class Anger: The middle class, once a key demographic for AAP, gravitated towards the BJP, largely due to economic policies. The Union Budget 2025, which increased the personal income tax rebate ceiling from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 12 lakh, was a game-changer. Many middle-class voters saw this as direct financial relief, outweighing AAP’s promises of subsidies.
As Kejriwal’s defeat became evident, social media saw the recirculation of a 2023 video, in which he had defiantly declared, “You (PM Modi) will have to take another birth to defeat us in Delhi.” The video has now gone viral, with BJP supporters mocking the dramatic reversal of fortunes.
Despite the landslide defeat for AAP, there was one glimmer of hope—Delhi Minister Atishi Marlena managed to retain her seat against BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri. However, her victory is overshadowed by AAP’s overall collapse.
With AAP’s hold over Delhi slipping, the party faces a daunting future. The defeat raises questions over Kejriwal’s leadership and the party’s survival beyond this election.
While the BJP is set to take charge of Delhi’s administration after a decade, all eyes will be on how Kejriwal navigates the political storm. Whether he chooses to fight from the opposition benches or steps away from active politics remains to be seen.
For now, however, the Kejriwal era in Delhi appears to have come to an end.
