Factors that led to AAP losing Delhi's crown in the 2025 Assembly Elections

This Delhi assembly election 2025 marks a reversal for Aam Aadmi Party, which had reduced BJP to a single-digit seat count in the last polls

As counting for the Delhi poll result nears end, trends suggest the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is on track for a decisive victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, pushing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) into a distant second. The outcome marks a dramatic reversal for AAP, which had relegated the BJP to single digits in the previous polls.

 

Here is what resulted in AAP's defeat in Delhi Assembly elections 2025 

 The anti-incumbency factor

 

The AAP enjoyed successes in Delhi in both the 2015 and 2020 Assembly elections riding on developmental work on health and education. The government’s power and water subsidies earned it significant voter support, even as the BJP dominated the national capital in the Lok Sabha polls. 

 

 

However, as time went on, unaddressed issues such as worsening air quality began to weigh heavily on voters. Despite AAP’s claims that the BJP-led Centre was hindering their efforts, a decade into AAP’s rule, voters grew increasingly disillusioned, according to NDTV. 

 

Amid a backdrop of political tensions with the Centre, the BJP’s ‘double engine’ governance promise, which offered a unified approach, seems to have struck a chord with the electorate.

 

The ‘Sheesh Mahal’ controversy

 

During the poll campaign, the BJP launched a fierce attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, accusing him of misusing public funds to renovate his official residence — coined as the ‘Sheesh Mahal’. 

 

The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) probe, according to news reports, revealed that the renovation, initially estimated at Rs 7.91 crore, spiralled to Rs 33.66 crore by completion in 2022. AAP defended itself by launching a counterattack, criticising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s opulent lifestyle and challenging the BJP to showcase the Prime Minister’s residence. 

 

Despite the counter-claims, the BJP’s campaign gained significant traction, particularly as it contrasted with AAP’s promises of transparent, clean governance.

 

Liquor policy scandal

 

AAP’s third term was no less turbulent thanks to the controversial liquor policy, which was scrapped amid corruption allegations. The BJP accused the AAP government of transforming Delhi into a city rife with liquor deals, citing the ‘Buy 1 Get 1 free’ offers under the new policy. 

 

The issue escalated with multiple top AAP leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Sanjay Singh, arrested by central agencies in connection to the alleged scam. The arrests and subsequent cabinet reshuffles kept AAP in constant crisis mode, diverting attention from its 2020 electoral promises, according to NDTV.

 

As the results continue to unfold, it is clear that AAP has been unable to maintain its hold on power, and the BJP’s relentless campaigning has paid off, positioning them for a resounding win.