Delhi Election 2025: Can Kejriwal 'jharoo' clean sweep once again or will BJP's lotus blossom in national capital?

Delhi Elections 2025: With conscionable a time left, each eyes person shifted to the much-awaited nationalist capital's results, acceptable to beryllium announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) connected Saturday (February 8). The stakes are sky-high arsenic the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, seeks a historical 3rd consecutive term, portion the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) aims to reclaim powerfulness successful the nationalist superior aft a 26-year wait. This predetermination is not simply a contention betwixt 2 governmental parties but a clash of ideologies, governance models, and the spot of Delhi's voters. For the BJP, a triumph would people a monumental moment, ending its astir three-decade-long lack from powerfulness successful Delhi. For AAP, winning the 2025 polls would mean achieving a hat-trick, solidifying its presumption arsenic the ascendant unit successful the capital's governmental landscape. To signifier the authorities successful the national territory, a enactment indispensable unafraid astatine slightest 36 seats successful the 70-member assembly. 

As the federation waits with bated breath, the question remains: Will Kejriwal's 'jharoo' expanse Delhi cleanable erstwhile again, oregon volition the BJP's lotus yet blossom successful the bosom of India?

Delhi Election 2025: What exit polls say 

According to the Zee News-ICPL exit poll, AAP is projected to triumph 33-38 seats, portion BJP is expected to unafraid 31-36 seats. The Congress, which erstwhile dominated Delhi’s governmental landscape, whitethorn stay marginalised with 0-2 seats. However, arsenic past elections person shown, exit polls bash not ever bespeak last results.  

Arvind Kejriwal 3.0?  

"I volition lone beryllium connected that seat aft radical springiness a certificate of honesty"—these were the words of erstwhile Delhi main curate Arvind Kejriwal, who stepped down from bureau connected September 17, 2024. This predetermination is important not conscionable due to the fact that it could people his 4th consecutive victory, but besides due to the fact that it follows his apprehension and abrupt resignation.  

Kejriwal has served arsenic Delhi’s main curate for astir a decade. He archetypal took bureau successful 2013 with extracurricular enactment from Congress but resigned successful 2014 erstwhile President’s Rule was imposed. He returned arsenic main curate successful 2015 and led AAP to landslide victories successful some the 2015 and 2020 Delhi Assembly elections. However, successful 2024, his tenure was rocked by allegations linked to the arguable Delhi excise argumentation 'scam,' starring to his apprehension successful March that twelvemonth connected charges of corruption and wealth laundering.  

Political expert Rasheed Kidwai believes a triumph for AAP would beryllium a large setback for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP. "This was a now-or-never accidental for the BJP because, for the archetypal time, Kejriwal was vulnerable," Kidwai told Zeebiz.com.  

If AAP secures a victory, it volition elevate him to a nationalist icon—one who could look arsenic the look of a non-Congress opposition, backed by leaders similar Akhilesh Yadav, Mamata Banerjee, and Uddhav Thackeray," Kidwai said.  

"The full predetermination revolved astir Kejriwal. Congress was anti-Kejriwal, BJP was anti-Kejriwal, but determination was lone 1 Kejriwal. The radical of Delhi present person a choice—vote for him oregon against him," Kidwai remarked.  

BJP to regain powerfulness aft 26 years?  

Despite its dominance successful nationalist politics, the BJP has struggled to triumph a Delhi assembly predetermination for implicit 2 decades. However, with caller victories successful Haryana and Maharashtra, the enactment is optimistic astir making inroads successful the nationalist capital. The caller budget, which provided taxation alleviation to the salaried mediate class—one of its cardinal elector bases—could besides enactment successful its favour.  

Political commentator Amitabh Tiwari told Zeebiz.com, "The Aam Aadmi Party is connected the backmost ft astatine the moment. Why? Because determination hasn't been immoderate enactment done successful the past 5 years."  

"The show of Kejriwal 2.0 is overmuch weaker than the show of Kejriwal 1.0," helium noted. Tiwari stated that the Aam Aadmi Party's governance was impacted arsenic its leaders were successful jail. He further pointed retired that the party's anti-corruption stance suffered a important dent owed to allegations and controversies, including the liquor argumentation scandal. These issues, helium noted, eroded the enactment of middle-class voters who antecedently backed AAP.  

Congress' conflict for relevance 

Political analysts suggest that Congress is improbable to unafraid a important fig of seats successful Delhi. While its ballot stock is expected to emergence from 4 per cent to astir 9 per cent, the enactment has struggled to clasp its ground, peculiarly owed to contradictions successful its stance towards AAP. The displacement from confederation to disapproval of Arvind Kejriwal has not gone unnoticed by voters, analysts noted.  

Who could beryllium Delhi’s adjacent main minister?

If AAP retains power, cardinal names successful contention see Atishi, Gopal Rai, and Manish Sisodia. On the BJP’s side, Parvesh Verma is emerging arsenic a salient contender, with Smriti Irani, Bansuri Swaraj, and Ramesh Bidhuri besides among those being discussed.