International media hails AAP triumph, terms it 'political earthquake'

International media described the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s stunning electoral triumph over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Delhi as a “political earthquake”, taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meteoric rise to the helm by saying — “After all, what goes up must come down.”

The New York Times dubbed BJP’s defeat, less than a year after the party’s victory in the polls at the Centre, as a “smaller political earthquake”.

“Less than a year after Narendra Modi won a historic victory to become India’s prime minister, a smaller political earthquake struck the capital on Tuesday, as partial results indicated that Modi’s governing party had been crushed in local elections by a young political organisation led by an anti-corruption campaigner (Arvind Kejriwal),” the daily said.

The Washington Post termed it as “stunning defeat” at the hands of the “upstart anti-corruption Common Man Party.” “The contest was widely viewed as a measure of Modi’s political clout here. The bitterly fought election for control of the legislative assembly mark the first political setback to Modi’s BJP since he became prime minister last May,” the paper said.

BBC also highlighted that this was the “first major setback for Prime Minister Modi who has enjoyed huge popularity since taking office last year, winning a string of local elections and wooing international investors and world leaders.” London’s The Telegraph termed BJP’s defeat in the Delhi polls, in which the Congress drew a blank, as a “humiliating landslide”, while Guardian described the stunning result as a “blow for Modi”.