Delhi election results 2025: AAP's Gopal Rai wins from Babarpur
What's the story
Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Gopal Rai has won the Babarpur constituency in the 2025 Delhi assembly elections. Rai defeated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Anil Kumar Vashisht by a whopping 18,994 votes. The win adds to another successful election for Rai, a senior leader in AAP, who currently holds multiple ministerial portfolios in Delhi.
Political career
Rai's political journey and previous victories
Rai's political career started at Lucknow University in 1992, where he was deeply involved in student activism with the All India Students Association. Despite an initial setback in 2013, he first won the Babarpur seat in 2015 and was later made minister of transport and labor. In the 2020 assembly elections, Rai retained his seat by defeating BJP's Naresh Gaur by over 32,000 votes.
Ministerial impact
Rai's contributions and AAP's election strategy
As a minister, Rai has been known for his advocacy of workers' rights, especially pushing for a wage hike from ₹9,000 to ₹14,000 for unskilled workers. Rai and current CM Atishi were the few top AAP leaders who managed to win the seats they contested. Other AAP leaders like Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Satyendar Jain lost their respective seats.