Delhi Election Results 2025 Live Updates: ECI completes Delhi assembly poll process, submits results to LG

BJP National Vice President Baijayant Jay Panda expressed that Delhi is on the brink of a major transformation after nearly three decades, following the party's decisive victory in the recent elections. He attributed the shift to the public’s trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and his development agenda. Panda emphasized that the people of Delhi have faith in Modi’s commitment to a “Viksit Delhi,” signaling significant change after 27 years of governance.

BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa also commented on the matter, revealing that the party's top leadership, including Prime Minister Modi and National President JP Nadda, would decide the Chief Ministerial candidate for Delhi. He stated that the new Chief Minister must be someone capable of implementing Modi’s vision for the city. Sirsa’s remarks came after his own victory in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections from the Rajouri Garden seat.

Sirsa also criticized the AAP leadership, urging caretaker CM Atishi to hold Arvind Kejriwal accountable for unfulfilled promises made during the Punjab election, particularly the promise of Rs 1,000 for women. In response, Atishi vowed to hold the BJP accountable for their promise to deposit Rs 2,500 in women’s accounts by March and ensure that BJP doesn’t stop the work done by AAP in Delhi.

BJP's winning candidate from the Jangpura assembly constituency, BJP leader Tarvinder Singh Marwah says, " We will take forward PM Modi's guarantee and will work for the development...Arvind Kejriwal did not fulfil any promise...CAG report will be kept in the first Assembly session..."

Haryana chief minister Nayab Singh Saini praised the BJP's historic victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, calling it a mandate from the people. He remarked that the AAP government, which came to power through false promises, was now removed by the voters. He highlighted that the people of Delhi had been deprived of the policies PM Narendra Modi had implemented across India but would now benefit from them. Saini criticised AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal for failing to fulfill key promises, such as cleaning the Yamuna, providing clean water, and improving infrastructure, branding him a liar.

Following the BJP's decisive victory, the focus is now on selecting the next Delhi Chief Minister. Several names, including MPs from Delhi, have been speculated, but the party is likely to choose from newly elected MLAs to avoid a by-election. Among the front-runners is Parvesh Verma, who defeated Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi. The son of former CM Saheb Singh Verma, he is seen as a strong Jat community representative. Another contender is Vijender Gupta, BJP leader in the outgoing assembly, who secured a third consecutive victory in Rohini. If the party looks beyond elected representatives, Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva could be a choice.

A day after their defeat in the Delhi assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the system of widespread violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Former deputy CM Manish Sisodia, who lost in Jangpura, claimed the entire machinery was against them and that the MCC was openly violated.

Sisodia also mentioned that Arvind Kejriwal met with defeated party leaders, motivating them despite these challenges. AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan, who won in Okhla, echoed these concerns, alleging that the Election Commission, police, and other powers were used by the BJP to cause AAP's loss. AAP secured only 22 seats, while the BJP won 48.

"Today, Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting with party leaders who were not able to win the elections. He motivated them. Everyone has contested the elections strongly at a time when the entire machinery was against us, and the MCC was openly violated. Despite this, our candidates contested the elections strongly. Arvind Kejriwal today held talks with them and motivated them, urging them to stay among the public and serve the people," said Sisodia

Senior Congress leader Tariq Anwar expressed disappointment over the party’s poor performance in the Delhi assembly polls, where it failed to win a single seat. Speaking in his Katihar constituency, Anwar called the result "saddening" and emphasized the need for introspection by the party’s high command. The Congress, which once ruled Delhi for over a decade, has been overtaken by Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP, which has held power for two consecutive terms. This marks the third consecutive time Congress has failed in Delhi, securing less than 10% of the vote share.

On the speculations of changing the name of Mustafabad, BJP-winning candidate from Mustafabad seat, Mohan Singh Bisht says, "...We will change the name from Mustafabad to Shivpuri or Shiv Vihar... I will definitely change the name because I did the development work from 1998 to 2008 there... and the development work is not related to the name..."

As AAP grapples with its devastating loss in the Delhi elections, social activist Anna Hazare has sharply criticised Arvind Kejriwal, attributing his downfall to greed for power and money. Hazare, who once mentored Kejriwal during the anti-corruption movement, stated that their relationship ended when Kejriwal "took the wrong path." He condemned the party’s liquor policy, saying it was a key factor in AAP's collapse after over a decade in power. "He used to say that he would stay in a small room all his life... Happiness is not found outside... Doing good work for society makes one happy from within. He did not understand this," Hazare added. Hazare’s remarks followed AAP's crushing defeat in the elections, with Kejriwal losing his seat to BJP's Parvesh Verma.

AAP leader and Outgoing CM Atishi says "AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting with the newly elected 22 MLAs of the party and gave guidelines to all the MLAs that whatever work of the people is there in their respective assembly constituencies, that has to be done by the AAP MLAs. The people have shown their trust in the 22 MLAs of AAP and sent them here and now it is our responsibility to serve them, to solve their problems and secondly it is our responsibility to play the role of opposition and it is the job of AAP MLAs to ensure that the party which is forming the government is answerable..."

AAP leader and Outgoing Delhi CM Atishi says "Right now analysis is going on as to why AAP lost, but this is the mandate of the people of Delhi, we respect the mandate. This election was conducted with so much hooliganism, such an election would have never happened in the history of Delhi. Where money is being distributed openly, liquor is being distributed openly, police are getting it distributed, and whoever is complaining about this is being put in jail...But we accept the mandate of the people of Delhi and will play the role of a constructive opposition..."

Prashant Bhushan, Aam Aadmi Party’s sacked co-founder, blamed Arvind Kejriwal for the party's poor performance in the Delhi assembly elections. Bhushan accused Kejriwal of turning AAP into a "supremo-dominated" and "corrupt" organisation. In a social media post, he criticised Kejriwal for building a lavish 45 crore ‘sheesh mahal’ and travelling in luxury cars, saying, "Kejriwal is largely responsible for AAP’s Delhi debacle." He claimed the party, initially founded on principles of transparency, accountability, and democracy, was now non-transparent and corrupt.

Bhushan also shared a 2015 open letter where he warned Kejriwal that the dream of clean politics might turn into a "nightmare." The BJP's historic victory in Delhi contrasted sharply with AAP's significant loss, dropping from 62 to 22 seats.

Punjab Congress President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring says, "... AAP's condition was still good in Delhi. But, they are going to lose badly in Punjab. If they manage to get seats in even a single digit in the 2027 elections, it would be a good thing for them..."

Haryana Cabinet Minister Arvind Sharma on Sunday attributed BJP's victory in the Delhi Assembly election to the policies of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"This is the victory of PM Narendra Modi's policy and guarantee and a defeat of Arvind Kejriwal's lies and corruption," Sharma told ANI.

"The people of Delhi or the country cannot tolerate the disrespect to a centre of faith like Maa Yamuna," he added.

Earlier in the day, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini slammed Kejriwal, accusing him of doing nothing for the development of Delhi and blaming others for his failures.

Saini said that the people of Delhi gave a historic verdict in the Assembly election by bringing BJP to power in the national capital after 27 years.

"After 27 years, the people of Delhi have given us a historic victory under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. For the last ten years, there was a government that always made false promises," Saini told reporters here.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena has dissolved the Seventh Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi with effect from today.
This came after Atishi tendered her resignation as Delhi Chief Minister on Sunday, following her party's loss in the Delhi assembly elections. She submitted her resignation to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena at the Raj Niwas.

The dissolution of the assembly paves the way for the formation of a new government in the national capital under the BJP's leadership.

"In exercise of the power conferred upon me by sub-section (2)(b) of section 6 of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, I, Vinai Kumar Saxena, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, hereby dissolve the Seventh Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi with effect from February 8, 2025." the LG order said.

Atishi, 43, had been serving as the Chief Minister of Delhi since September last year.

Her elevation to the top post came after Kejriwal announced resignation from his post, days after resigning from the post.

How Delhi apportioned its votes was an interesting story by itself. BJP’s 48-seat haul in the 70-seat assembly came on the back of a 45.6% vote share. AAP’s 22-seat tally, less than half of BJP’s, was coupled with a substantial 43.6% vote share.

That a 2-percentage point difference in vote share could change fortunes so comprehensively said five things.

First, this is the first time ever that a party with a 40%-plus vote share in Delhi has lost elections. Second, the 10-percentage point fall in AAP’s vote share between 2020 and 2025 didn’t erode its low-income voter base substantially.

Therefore, third, middle class Delhi voters swung against the party and made a pivotal difference to the results.

Fourth, middle class anger against AAP was centred around the party’s seemingly uncaring attitude towards city infrastructure, an anger AAP either missed or downplayed.

Fifth, at the margins, that AAP and Congress fought separately and waged a bitter campaign against each other, made some crucial difference to the overall outcome.

Breaking up the verdict by Delhi sub-regions shows just how far-reaching BJP’s victory is. Its wins largely came from the outer Delhi areas bordering Haryana in north and west, and from New Delhi and East Delhi. BJP won nine of 10 seats in the West Delhi parliamentary constituency area, eight each in North West Delhi and East Delhi, and seven in New Delhi. In the 2020 polls, BJP had failed to win a single seat in West Delhi and New Delhi, while it had emerged victorious in one seat in North West Delhi. It also won six seats in Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha area, where it had no legislators in the last term.

Plus, BJP also managed to make inroads in Dalit-dominated areas, winning four of the 12 reserved SC constituencies. Capping all this was the party wresting the Muslim-dominated seat of Mustafabad, where it benefitted from a four-cornered fight.

BJP MP Anurag Thakur says, "...We have won in Delhi. I express my gratitude to the people of Delhi. This is BJP's good governance welfare model. People trust PM Modi's guarantees. Prime Minister Modi had promised the people of Delhi that he will put Delhi on the track of development and we will make Delhi a developed country..."

Anil Sarin, BJP's state general secretary said, "Just like they (AAP) did politics of lies and fraud in Delhi, they did the same in Punjab too. They made false promises in Punjab. They did not give Rs 1100 to women. The truth about more than 6000 Aam Aadmi clinics that were to be opened is in front of you. So they will be ousted from power in Punjab too because lies and fraud cannot last long. Aam Aadmi Party is a fraud in itself. Their only work is to lie and fool people..."

In June 2022, then Delhi Congress president Chaudhary Anil Kumar filed a police complaint alleging financial irregularities in the excise policy formulated by the AAP govt. BJP latched onto the Congress accusation and launched an aggressive campaign, with leader of the Opposition Ramvir Singh Bidhuri raking it up in the assembly and city party president Adesh Gupta organising street protest. It didn’t take lieutenant governor VK Saxena long to order an investigation.

“The liquor policy helped us run an anti-AAP campaign in the jhuggis, especially among women, because alcohol and drug abuse are big problems there,” said a BJP functionary. The allegations of a financial fiddle severely dented the image of a party that had made corruption the fulcrum of its existence. The taint got permanently seared in the people’s mind when deputy CM Manish Sisodia first and then CM Arvind Kejriwal were put behind bars in the case.

While embroiled in the excise policy controversy, Kejriwal waded into another by having the CM’s residence renovated at an extraordinary cost. BJP insiders claim Kejriwal’s “self-goal” diminished AAP’s image as an espouser of aam aadmi rights. As one BJP functionary explained, “‘Sheesh Mahal’ helped us to easily permeate the message that AAP did not practice what it preached and wasn’t a party of the common man.”

By this time, AAP was already feeling the heat of the legislative change giving LG the power over services, effectively giving him control of the bureaucracy. The central govt’s step resulted in increased oversight of AAP’s administrative decisions and investigations were initiated into the functioning of Delhi Jal Board and mohalla clinics, all of which served only to magnify the lapses in AAP’s governance model.

BJP's winning candidates from New Delhi and Bijwasan constituencies: Parvesh Verma and Kailash Gehlot reached Raj Niwas. Gehlot said that it is just a "courtesy call."

AAP leader Atishi left fromRaj Niwas after submitting her resignation as Delhi CM. BJP emerged victorious in #DelhiAssemblyElection2025 yesterday after winning 48 out of 70 seats.

The Aam Aadmi Party leader submitted her resignation to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena at the Raj Niwas on Sunday.

Atishi, 43, was serving as the Chief Minister of Delhi since September last year. Her elevation to the top post came after Kejriwal announced resignation from his post, days after resigning from the post.

She became the third woman chief minister of Delhi after Sushma Swaraj and Sheila Dikshit.

AAP suffered a massive setback in the Delhi assembly elections, as it could secure only 22 seats, a huge drop from its previous tally of 62.

The BJP won a historic mandate in Delhi polls on Saturday, returning to power in the national capital after 27 years by ousting AAP.

Delhi CM Atishi reached Raj Niwas to submit her resignation. BJP emerged victorious in the Delhi Assembly Election yesterday after winning 48 out of 70 seats

At around 11 am today, Delhi CM Atishi will go to Raj Niwas and submit her resignation, said CMO. BJP emerged victorious in #DelhiAssemblyElection2025 yesterday after winning 48 out of 70 seats

“We hope that Parvesh Verma will be made the CM. It’s his right… BJP will make Delhi like that of Paris and will fulfil all the promises,” says BJP’s winning candidate from New Delhi constituency Parvesh Verma’s aunt.

Delhi on Saturday joined a growing list of states where the lotus has managed to bloom with a vengeance. The Bharatiya Janata Party, which was struggling to even get double-digits in seat share in the past two assembly polls, won the election by securing a whopping 48 of 70 seats. Breaking the 27-year jinx, the BJP is again coming back to form the government in the national capital with the promise of development and good governance.

The Aam Aadmi Party's defeat this time around has shown that freebie politics cannot hold its sheen for long if not coupled with on-the-ground development and infrastructure improvement.

In this year's assembly election, BJP and Congress both followed the AAP's manifestos giving free electricity, water and bus services for women and even financial aid. This seemed like a freebies vs freebies contest where the BJP's advantage stemmed from two factors: voters' assessment of implementation records, with the BJP's performance in Madhya Pradesh outweighing AAP's shortcomings in Punjab; and the understanding that welfare schemes must be complemented by good governance.

The AIMIM, which contested the Delhi assembly polls in two constituencies, did not win in either of the seats. In the results declared on Saturday, the party nominees from Okhla and Mustafabad constituencies stood in third position. The Congress was placed fourth in both constituencies.

In Okhla seat, MIM candidate Shifa Ur Rehman Khan got 39,558 votes. The seat was won by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), whose candidate Amanatullah Khan secured 88,943 votes, polling 42.4% of the votes. BJP’s Manish Chaudhary polled 65,304 votes, getting 31.1% of the votes. In third place, the MIM candidate polled 18.8% of the votes.

The AIMIM candidate in the Mustafabad constituency, Tahir Hussain, who stood in third place, polled 33,474 votes. The seat was won by BJP’s Mohan Singh Bisht, who polled 85,215 votes, garnering 42.3% of the votes. AAP candidate Adeel Ahmad Khan was in second position, polling 67,637 votes and getting 33.6% of the votes. The AIMIM candidate, who stood in third position, could poll 16.6% of the votes. Tahir Hussain, who is also an accused in the Delhi riots case, was given custody parole t to campaign in the elections.

After BJP’s emphatic win, the spotlight has turned to the all-important question of who is going to be the next chief minister.

While many names, including those of party MPs from Delhi, were doing the rounds, there were indications that the party brass may pick someone from among the winning MLAs to avoid two byelections — one caused by the resignation of an LS MP and another that would be necessitated if a sitting MLA is persuaded to quit his seat.

Among the crowded field of contenders, Parvesh Verma has pulled ahead after his giant-killing victory over Kejriwal in the latter’s stronghold of New Delhi. Son of former CM Saheb Singh Verma, Parvesh, who twice won the West Delhi LS seat, is seen as a good Jat face and can help deepen the connect with the community, which appears to have supported BJP.

Vijender Gupta, leader of BJP in the outgoing assembly, is also seen as a strong contender. He scored his third consecutive victory from Rohini.

“It is too premature,” a party source said. “The leadership is not going to be rushed into a decision and, in all likelihood, it will be taken after PM Modi’s return from the US on Friday.”

BJP is known to spring surprises in state appointments, often opting for low-profile figures to bring an element of control and freshness. This suggests the party could look beyond Verma, Gupta and others to someone who can resonate with a broader demographic, or fulfil specific regional or community expectations.

Delhi’s is among the smallest of many elections held in the world’s largest democracy – but on Saturday, the national capital sent out some massive national political messages.

First, BJP’s post-Lok Sabha elections loss of lustre is now a firmly closed chapter. Modi is back again as a political super-force and the most saleable political brand.

Second, following from the first, Rahul Gandhi is back to looking like he used to before Congress won 99 seats in Lok Sabha polls. Nothing he does or says seems to matter when it comes to elections.

Third, Arvind Kejriwal’s status as a big national opposition player has, for now at least, been severely diminished. Seldom has a political brand taken as big a hit as his took after the Delhi results.

Fourth, the opposition alliance is now in tatters.

Fifth, at least in urban areas, freebies alone can’t win elections, as became clear via Delhi voters punishing AAP for bad infrastructure.

In Delhi, there was a sense of one era ending and another beginning in the city. BJP returned to office after 27 years, and AAP was voted out after a decade. Kejriwal will not return as Delhi CM, nor will Atishi. All eyes are on who Modi-Shah pick as BJP’s CM.

The last time BJP was voted to office in Delhi, in 1993, Yamuna still had aquatic life, Appu Ghar was the biggest city attraction, Delhi Metro looked like a distant dream, and city air wasn’t toxic. A city that has changed so radically, for good and bad, gave a verdict that was equally dramatic.

BJP-AAP vote share gap is quite small. So, what swung the election decisively in BJP’s favour? Some short takes:

SAFFRON’S LONG MARCH: BJP’s campaign for Delhi started much before polls were announced. Every bad headline against AAP was followed by a sustained BJP campaign, hurting the incumbent. Closer to elections, ‘sheesh mahal’, as BJP cleverly named the generously refurbished CM residence, hurt AAP’s image even more. After initially criticising AAP’s freebie game, BJP, too, made populist promises with gusto. BJP also talked up the idea of a double-engine sarkar, even as perceptions of govt dysfunctionality took hold, in part thanks to the LG-AAP fight. By the time polls were held, many voters had bought BJP’s argument.

TAKING THE MIDDLE OUT: Vote-share stats make it clear AAP hasn’t lost most of its core low-income vote. BJP would have always strategised with that assumption — and therefore it targeted Delhi’s neo-middle class and middle class, who were more upset with the state of roads, traffic, Yamuna, and air pollution than they were impressed by free water, power and primary health care. To that, BJP added the announcement of the 8th Pay Commission — Delhi voters include many govt employees and their families — and the Budget’s income tax cuts.

‘FAKES’ AMONG FREEBIES: BJP campaigned hard against some elements of AAP’s welfare policy regime. ‘Fake medicines’ and ‘ghost patients’ in free mohalla clinics was one such campaign. AAP contested these claims hotly. But some of those charges stuck when coupled with demonstrable failures like Yamuna flowing as dirty as ever and desperate AAP claims like Haryana’s BJP govt ‘poisoning’ Yamuna water. That AAP suffered big losses in seats along the Haryana border tells this story powerfully.

BRAND KEJRIWAL LOSES SHEEN: Kejriwal started as a ‘humble man of the people’ who didn’t want to stay in govt bungalows. But he came into these polls as a very different leader. He and his colleagues didn’t recognise that aside from anti-incumbency against AAP, there was anti-incumbency against Kejriwal himself
MODI HAI TO… When things turned against AAP, Modi’s appeal, dormant in the last two assembly polls, came to the fore. He was front and centre in BJP’s campaign and his sharp attacks and promises of smooth coordination between the Centre and Delhi made an appreciable difference.

The saffron outfit’s last and only stint in office in NCT Delhi had come in 1993, nearly two decades before Arvind Kejriwal launched his party. After 27 years, BJP made a spectacular comeback in the Delhi politics.

BJP leader Tamilisai Soundararajan celebrated the party's landmark victory in the Delhi Assembly elections, calling it the "exit" of AAP’s Arvind Kejriwal and a testament to the INDI alliance’s failure to unite. She credited PM Narendra Modi’s governance for BJP’s return to power after 27 years.

"After a quarter century, we have won the Delhi elections. I thank our Prime Minister for his good governance and for instilling hope that the same will be delivered in Delhi," Soundararajan told ANI on Saturday.

She emphasised that the results mark Kejriwal’s political downfall, noting his defeat to BJP’s Parvesh Verma in the New Delhi assembly seat.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi secured a historic victory for BJP in the Delhi Assembly elections, ending a 26-year drought. His campaign, focused on development and local issues, reaffirms his political dominance, proving that his influence extends beyond national politics and dispelling doubts about his regional appeal.

Delhi’s election may be small, but its impact is national. BJP has regained momentum post-Lok Sabha polls, reaffirming PM Modi’s dominance. Rahul Gandhi's relevance in elections appears diminished again. Arvind Kejriwal’s stature as a national opposition leader has suffered a severe blow. Meanwhile, the opposition alliance stands fractured and weakened.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, conceding defeat in the Assembly elections on Saturday, highlighted his government's contributions to healthcare, education, and essential services while vowing to serve as a constructive opposition.

"Our government worked tirelessly over the last 10 years to improve the lives of Delhiites, particularly in health, education, and water and electricity supply," Kejriwal said. Congratulating the BJP on its victory, he expressed hope that the new government would fulfill its electoral promises.

Outgoing Chief Minister Atishi, who secured a hard-fought win in Kalkaji, praised AAP workers for their resilience against what she described as the BJP’s "oppressive" tactics. She reaffirmed AAP’s commitment to challenging the BJP’s "dictatorial" policies.

For the first time since the Delhi Assembly’s formation in 1993 under the NCT of Delhi Act, the capital will send Rajya Sabha members from two different political parties. Although the next Upper House election for Delhi’s three seats is scheduled for January 2030, the current assembly results indicate a shift from past decades—where a single ruling party claimed all three seats. This time, BJP is poised to secure two seats, while AAP is likely to retain one.

The BJP, which secured a majority in the Delhi Assembly elections, saw four of its nine women candidates win their seats. However, the overall representation of women in the assembly declined from eight in 2020 to just five this year. Among the winners, four belong to the BJP, while one represents AAP. Across the three major parties—BJP, AAP, and Congress—a total of 25 women candidates were fielded.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on presenting all pending CAG reports—around 14 dating back to 2017-18, including those on the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ and liquor policy—and his vow to take action against corruption in Delhi is being viewed as a precursor to a fresh wave of criminal proceedings against top AAP leaders. The investigations are expected to expand beyond health and education contracts to include probes into the PWD and Delhi Jal Board.

With AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia failing to retain their seats, the party faces its toughest challenge yet—transitioning into the opposition for the first time against a resurgent BJP, which secured a comfortable 48-seat majority.

Beyond Kejriwal and Sisodia, most of AAP’s senior leadership also failed to make it to the assembly. The few exceptions include outgoing CM Atishi and AAP Delhi convener Gopal Rai, who previously held the environment portfolio.

The 2025 Assembly elections have brought a fresh wave of legislators to Delhi, with several first-time candidates securing victories—some in closely contested battles, others with decisive margins.

Their success underscores the evolving nature of Delhi’s political landscape, where established parties have demonstrated that new talent can rise and thrive in the competitive arena of public life.

BJP’s Vijender Gupta secured a resounding third consecutive victory in Rohini, solidifying the constituency as an unshakable party stronghold.

Despite AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal’s campaign promises of free electricity up to 200 units and complimentary bus services—along with warnings that lower-income groups could suffer under BJP rule—Rohini’s middle-class urban voters, including traders, professionals, and residents of JJ clusters, remained firmly aligned with the saffron party.

In 2013, then-chief minister Sheila Dikshit faced a shocking defeat in the New Delhi constituency to a political newcomer—Arvind Kejriwal—who later succeeded her as CM.

This time, history repeated itself, but with Kejriwal on the losing end. The AAP chief was unseated by BJP’s Parvesh Verma, son of former CM Sahib Singh Verma, by a margin of 4,089 votes. In a twist of irony, it was Sheila Dikshit's son, Sandeep Dikshit, who chipped away at Kejriwal’s vote share, securing 4,568 votes.

The formation of the government and the swearing-in ceremony are expected to take place after February 15, according to party sources.

Since Delhi is a Union Territory, the appointment of the chief minister requires the President of India’s approval. "Once the party finalizes its choice for CM, the President, on the lieutenant governor’s recommendation, will appoint the chief minister, whose council of ministers will be collectively responsible to the assembly. This process will take around 2-3 days," a source explained.

The swearing-in ceremony, like in other BJP-ruled states, is expected to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Given that the PM is scheduled to visit the United States on February 12-13 for a crucial meeting with President Donald Trump, the ceremony will likely be held after February 15—unless all formalities are completed within the next day or two," the source added.

Arvind Kejriwal’s defeat signals a significant shift in New Delhi’s political landscape, reflecting waning public trust in his leadership amid alleged corruption scandals and unfulfilled promises. With AAP now in the opposition, the party faces an uphill battle to retain its unity and political relevance.

The BJP and its NDA allies on Saturday celebrated their victory in the Delhi elections, calling it a strong endorsement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. Meanwhile, the Congress maintained that the results were a referendum on AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, not Modi’s policies.

Cracks within the INDIA bloc surfaced as Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah took a swipe at the infighting between the Congress and AAP, both of whom suffered defeat after contesting against each other.

"Aur lado aapas mein!!! (Keep on fighting each other!)," the National Conference leader posted on X.

INDIA bloc members, including Shiv Sena (UBT) and NCP-SP, argued that the BJP’s victory could have been averted had the Congress and AAP joined forces. They stressed the need to learn from this setback.

Of the 70 assembly constituencies, the BJP secured 48 seats, while the AAP managed to win only 22. Several of AAP’s prominent leaders, including former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, and ex-ministers Satyendra Jain and Saurabh Bharadwaj, faced defeat in the polls.

Kejriwal lost the New Delhi assembly seat to BJP’s Parvesh Verma by a margin of 4,089 votes, the Election Commission announced on Saturday.

Kejriwal had held the New Delhi seat for over a decade, first winning it in the 2013 assembly elections by defeating then-chief minister Sheila Dikshit.

BJP leader and Bihar deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary hailed the party's victory in the Delhi polls as a "triumph of development over deception."

Speaking to ANI, Choudhary remarked, "This is the victory of development over deception," emphasising the electorate's preference for progress.

Meanwhile, Parvesh Verma, the BJP's winning candidate from the New Delhi assembly seat, highlighted Prime Minister Narendra Modi's gratitude towards Delhiites following the election results.

The BJD on Saturday dismissed concerns that the AAP's defeat in Delhi would impact Odisha’s political landscape, emphasising that regional parties remain a formidable force in Indian politics.

BJD’s coordination and activities committee chairman, Debi Prasad Mishra, asserted that AAP’s electoral setback does not signal the decline of state-centric parties.

“The BJP’s victory and AAP’s defeat in Delhi will have no bearing on Odisha’s politics. If a regional party had lost in this region, it might have had some impact. But that is not the case with the Delhi assembly elections. Regional parties continue to hold power in neighboring states like Jharkhand and West Bengal. In Odisha, the BJD remains the principal opposition, having secured more votes than the ruling BJP in the last elections,” Mishra stated.

He further stressed that AAP’s loss “should not be seen as a measure of the influence of regional parties in India.”