New Delhi: A day after AAP’s defeat in Delhi assembly elections, outgoing Chief Minister Atishi resigned from her position on Sunday. Atishi said that AAP’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting with the party’s newly elected 22 MLAs to discuss the situation and establish their future responsibilities.
“The people have shown their trust in the 22 MLAs of AAP, and now it is our responsibility to serve them, solve their problems, and also to ensure that the party forming the government is held accountable,” said Atishi. She emphasized the importance of focusing on the welfare of their constituencies, despite the defeat.
#WATCH | 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… pic.twitter.com/AmU8iNLAiy
— ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2025
This election conducted with hooliganism, says Atishi
In response to BJP’s victory, Atishi made it clear that AAP would ensure the new government’s accountability. She said that BJP had promised that in its first cabinet meeting, a scheme to deposit Rs. 2,500 in the accounts of every woman in Delhi would be passed by March 8. “AAP will ensure accountability of the BJP on this and ensure that every woman in Delhi gets this Rs 2,500,” she said.
Atishi also said that AAP would make sure that the work accomplished over the past decade by the party, especially in areas like free electricity, quality government schools, Mohalla clinics, and government hospitals, would continue. “We would like to tell BJP that not only will all Delhiites get free electricity, they will also get 300 units free,” she added. AAP, she assured, would hold BJP accountable for fulfilling its promises and continuing the services that were initiated during AAP’s tenure.
#WATCH | AAP leader and Outgoing Delhi CM Atishi says “BJP promised that in the first cabinet meeting, the scheme of Rs 2,500 will be passed and by 8th March, Rs. 2,500 will be deposited in the accounts of all women of Delhi. AAP will ensure accountability of the BJP on this and… pic.twitter.com/aK1sxhvkAz
— ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2025
Atishi further spoke about the circumstances surrounding AAP’s defeat. She said that an internal analysis was underway to understand the reasons for the loss, but emphasized that the party respects the mandate given by the people of Delhi.
“This election was conducted with so much hooliganism, such an election would have never happened in the history of Delhi,” Atishi said, adding that there had been widespread distribution of money and liquor during the election campaign. She claimed that police were involved in distributing these resources, and anyone who complained about these irregularities was being put in jail. Despite these challenges, Atishi reaffirmed AAP’s commitment to playing a constructive role as the opposition.
Kejriwal holds meeting with winning AAP MLAs
The meeting was attended by AAP leaders, including Anil Jha from Kirari, Ram Singh Netaji from Badarpur, Ale Iqbal from Matiamahal, Mukesh Ahlawat from Sultanpur, Imran Hussain, and Sandeep Pathak.
The meeting focused on addressing the responsibilities that the party MLAs would take on in the coming days. Kejriwal urged the MLAs to play an active role in opposition while working for their respective constituencies.
BJP seeks time from LG to discuss formation of new govt
A day after securing a resounding victory in Delhi assembly elections, BJP sought a meeting with Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena to discuss the formation of the new government.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva wrote a letter to the Lieutenant Governor, requesting an appointment to meet the newly elected BJP MLAs and seven Delhi Lok Sabha MPs. “I along with the BJP MPs from Delhi and our newly elected 48 MLAs wish to meet you at an early date. Please, allow an appointment at your convenience,” Sachdeva wrote.
Meanwhile, a meeting of BJP MLAs was held at Delhi party office over new government formation and new CM’s face. All the newly elected MLAs and Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva were present during the meeting.
Delhi assembly election results: Decline of AAP and BJP’s rise
BJP had won 48 seats out of the 70 in Delhi Assembly, securing a clear majority, while AAP managed to win only 22 seats. With this victory, BJP will return to power in Delhi after a gap of 27 years.
The formation of the government is expected to take place soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from his foreign trip.
The defeat of AAP’s top leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Saurabh Bhardwaj, and Satyendra Jain, has been seen as a major setback for the party. With Delhi now slipping out of AAP’s hands, the party’s only government is in Punjab, while they also hold the mayoral position in Delhi Municipal Corporation (MCD).
BJP’s vote share has seen a substantial increase over the past decade. While AAP secured 43.57% of the total votes in this election, it is a major decline from the 53.57% vote share in the 2020 elections and 54.5% in 2015. In contrast, BJP’s vote share has increased by approximately 13% during the same period. Congress, despite a slight increase in vote share (2%), was unable to win any seats in the election.
AAP’s struggles in political arena
AAP had previously formed the government in 2015 and 2020 with impressive wins of 67 and 62 seats respectively. However, in the 2025 elections, the party could not retain its stronghold. Despite securing more than 40% of the vote share, AAP’s MLA count has drastically reduced, and the party has faced a crushing defeat in the elections.
Now, with the BJP set to form the government, AAP faces several challenges ahead, including retaining control over Delhi Municipal Corporation and regaining its standing as a strong political force in Delhi.
