Delhi polls: BJP reclaims capital after 27 years
What's the story
After being out of power in Delhi for over 25 years, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is taking back the city it once reigned over. The BJP has won 48 seats, according to Election Commission data. Its rival, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), on the other hand, has won 22 seats. To form a government in Delhi, a party needs to win at least 36 seats.
Twitter Post
BJP supporters celebrate
#WATCH | Delhi | BJP supporters gather outside the party's office as official trends of #DelhiElectionResults indicating BJP's comeback in the National Capital
— ANI (@ANI) February 8, 2025
BJP is leading in 41 seats; AAP in 29; as per Election Commission trends pic.twitter.com/16GsvmqR5p
Candidate overview
699 candidates vied for votes in Delhi elections
A total of 699 candidates, including 603 men and 96 women, contested in the elections. Notable candidates included former Chief Minister Kejriwal and Congress candidate Sandeep Dikshit, who were defeated by BJP's Parvesh Verma in the New Delhi seat. Exit polls had largely predicted a victory for the BJP. Projections show BJP could win between 35 to 49 seats, while the AAP could get between 21 to 37 seats.
AAP heavyweights
Top AAP leaders who lost
Aside from Kejriwal, many other AAP leaders also saw the bottom of the barrel. They include Delhi's former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia. He lost to BJP's Tarvinder Singh Marwah in Jangpura. Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj, who won the Greater Kailash seat thrice, lost out to BJP's Shikha Roy this time. Another top AAP leader, Durgesh Pathak, lost to BJP's Umang Bajaj in Delhi's Rajinder Nagar seat. Former Delhi minister Satyendra Jain lost in the Shakur Basti seat.
Poll predictions
Exit polls predict BJP's victory in Delhi elections
In the 2015 and 2020 elections, the AAP won 67 out of 70 seats and 62 seats, respectively. Compared to 2015, when it won just three seats, the BJP saw a slight improvement in 2020, winning eight seats, while the Congress did not win any. The Congress was once again wiped out in the 2020 election too. The results this time were the same as the last two elections, as it failed to win a single seat.
Manifestos
Election manifestos promised freebies
The election manifestos of all three parties promised freebies like monthly grants for women and free healthcare for the elderly. The AAP promised free bus rides and schemes for youth and auto-taxi drivers, among others, while the Congress promised free healthcare, electricity, and a free ration kit every month with rice, sugar, oil, and wheat. The BJP, meanwhile, promised a stipend scheme for Scheduled Caste students, 33% job reservation for women, among others.