Opinion | The Price Of Arrogance: AAP’s Delhi Debacle

AAP’s two most senior leaders, Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia, literally ended up biting the dust, losing by substantial margins to their BJP opponents. In hindsight, Kejriwal may now realise that his combative stance against the Centre was a grave miscalculation. Had he maintained cordial relations, AAP could have secured much-needed support to fulfil several of its long-pending promises to the people of Delhi.

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AAP’s decision to remain combative and clash with the BJP-led Centre at every given opportunity made little practical sense, especially considering that the Constitution grants the Centre overriding powers to nullify any act of Delhi’s elected representatives. By blaming the Centre for virtually everything that went wrong in the capital, AAP stretched its narrative too far. Its refusal to take responsibility for its shortcomings understandably frustrated the electorate.

In contrast, the BJP appears to have taken valuable lessons from its less-than-majority verdict in the 2024 general elections. Keeping itself grounded, the party applied itself astutely and methodically to winning both the hearts and minds of Delhi’s citizens. As a result, it secured an impressive victory after a gap of 27 years.

This decisive win has effectively decimated the opposition INDIA Bloc, of which the Jammu & Kashmir National Conference (JKNC), led by Omar Abdullah, and the Congress party are key members. Abdullah’s wry remark—“Aur lado apas mein"—to his bloc partners encapsulates the disarray within the Opposition, highlighting the monumental challenge of regrouping.

For political circles across India, and most notably in Jammu & Kashmir—where an elected government has finally returned after nearly six years of Central rule—the message is clear: it doesn’t pay to have a complete breakdown of relations with the BJP-led Centre at every level.

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The BJP’s victory, securing 48 out of 70 seats, can be attributed to several key factors—greater middle-class support, increased confidence among women voters, a strong commitment to infrastructure development, and, crucially, the public fund controversies (excise policy and CM House refurbishing) that plagued AAP in the latter stages of its second term.

With this mandate, PM Modi’s BJP now faces the crucial task of delivering on its promises to govern Delhi effectively. Meeting infrastructure demands, ensuring economic growth, and strengthening social welfare will be the key benchmarks by which it will be judged. As the Prime Minister aptly put it, “There is excitement and relief—excitement for victory and relief for making Delhi AAP-da free."

Some of its key manifesto promises that will prove extremely challenging are:

• Cleaning the Yamuna River and developing a riverfront within three years.
• Clearing landfills across the city within three years.
• Providing LPG cylinders at Rs 500, with free supply on Holi and Diwali.
• Granting Rs 2,500 per month to women from economically weaker sections.
• Implementing the Ayushman Bharat scheme in the first Cabinet meeting, offering Rs 10 lakh in medical treatment coverage.
• Resuming pensions for senior citizens—Rs 22,500 per month for those above 60 and Rs 23,000 per month for those above 70.
• Offering free education from kindergarten to postgraduate level.
• Ensuring a 100 per cent manual scavenging-free Delhi.

Only time will tell how things pan out, both for the BJP and the people of Delhi. Though the Opposition and regional satraps may be upset by their dismal performance, the election results have clearly scripted the success mantra —reinvent and perform, or perish.

It is certainly no easy task!

The author is Editor Brighter Kashmir, Author, TV commentator, political analyst and columnist. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely that of the author. They do not necessarily reflect News18’s views.