The BJP’s vote share surged past 40%, a level not seen since 1993, and analysts attribute this breakthrough to BJP’s fine strategy that played a crucial role in expanding the party’s reach in 2025.

As vote counting progressed, BJP supporters erupted in celebration outside the party headquarters, waving flags and dancing to the beats of ‘dhol’ in a euphoric display of triumph.

Ground-level issues such as water shortages, drainage problems, and garbage disposal were major themes throughout the campaign. The BJP also capitalized on the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ controversy, highlighting lavish renovations at the chief minister’s residence under Arvind Kejriwal, along with corruption allegations related to AAP’s excise policy. These issues clearly resonated with voters.Also Read | From Anna Hazare to Alka Lamba: The friends-turned-foes who left Arvind Kejriwal

BJP’s long journey back to powerThe BJP first won Delhi in 1993, securing a 42.82% vote share, while Congress held 34.48%. However, after losing the 1998 elections, the party faced a 27-year-long exile from power. Following its defeat, BJP’s vote share dropped to 35.82%, while Congress surged to 48%.

In 2003, Congress further strengthened its grip, increasing its vote share to 48.13%, while BJP slipped to 35.22%.

The emergence of AAP in 2015 dealt another setback to BJP, with its vote share falling to 32.19%, while AAP dominated with 54.34%. The 2020 elections saw a slight improvement for the BJP (33.07%), but AAP once again emerged victorious with 53.57%.

With the 2025 elections marking BJP’s return to power, the political landscape of Delhi has dramatically shifted, setting the stage for a new era in the capital.

In the letter, which was posted on social media, Kejriwal wrote in Hindi, “I am writing this letter to draw your attention to an important matter concerning the school and college students of Delhi. Students of Delhi largely depend on the Metro to reach their school or college. To reduce the financial burden on students, I propose to provide 50 per cent concessions to students in Delhi Metro.”

He further wrote, “Delhi Metro is a 50:50 collaboration project between Delhi government and Central government. Therefore, the expenditure on this should be borne half by the Delhi government and the Central government.” Kejriwal further said that the AAP is planning to make bus travel free for students. “From our side, we are planning to make bus travel completely free for students. I sincerely hope that you will agree with this proposal.”

The letter comes days ahead of the upcoming Assembly election in Delhi. The voting for the 70-member Delhi Assembly is set to take place on February 5, and the counting is scheduled for February 8. The AAP, BJP and the Congress are fighting a bitter battle in the national capital. All three parties are making several promises to Delhiites.

Congress on January 16 said it would give Rs 500 LPG cylinder, free ration kits, and free electricity up to 300 units to the city residents if voted to power in Delhi. It has also announced ‘Pyari Didi Yojana’, promising a monthly aid of Rs 2,500 to women in Delhi.

The AAP, seeking a straight third term to power, has promised free healthcare for all senior citizens, monthly assistance of Rs 18,000 to priests in temples and granthis in gurudwaras, Mahila Samman Yojana and existing welfare schemes.

The BJP has been promising continuing welfare and subsidy schemes and providing up to 300 free units of electricity for households and up to 500 free power units for religious places, free bus rides for students and senior citizens, monthly financial aid scheme for women.

While addressing a rally in Delhi’s Rohini area in the runup to the assembly polls, the Prime Minister also assured that no public welfare scheme would be discontinued if the saffron party assumed power, but the BJP government would weed out the corruption in their implementation. He also emphasized that the BJP would usher in change. “Only when this ‘aapda (disaster)’ is gotten rid of in Delhi will the double engine of development come in,” Modi said.

PM Modi said the Centre had been developing highways in Delhi, expanding the Metro network, starting the Namo Bharat Regional Rapid Transit System, and running big hospitals. “However, the moment you step out of a Metro station, you can see potholed roads and overflowing sewers. Some areas are such that even auto and cab drivers refuse to ply due to long traffic jams,” he said.

“In the past 10 years, Delhi has witnessed a state government that is no less than an ‘aapda (disaster)’! Delhiites have realized this. Only one voice is reverberating in Delhi: ‘Aapda nahi sahenge, badal kar rahenge (We will not tolerate disaster; we will bring change),” Modi said.

Continuing his attack on the AAP and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal, the Prime Minister said when the people of Delhi were grappling with COVID-19, struggling to find oxygen and medicines, the entire focus of the “aapda people” was on building their “Sheesh Mahal.”

“They made a huge budget for the ‘Sheesh Mahal.’ This is their truth… They do not care about the people of Delhi. That is why every Delhiite today is saying, ‘We will not tolerate aapda; we will change,'” he said. PM Modi also accused the AAP government of spreading fear that the government of the saffron party in the national capital would discontinue several welfare schemes implemented by it.

The Prime Minister asserted that a new BJP government would implement central schemes that, he claimed, had been stalled by the AAP government with renewed vigour. “For Delhi, these people have made every season, every weather, ‘aapda kaal.’ The energy of Delhiites is spent in dealing with ‘aapda’ throughout the year,” he said. “Aapda” turned every season into an emergency, with water shortages, waterlogging, and pollution, the Prime Minister alleged.

“Therefore, only if AAP is removed from Delhi will the double engine of development and good governance come.” “We are in the 21st century, and 25 years have passed. Two or three generations have entered their youth. The next 25 years are very important for Delhi. The next 25 years will see India emerging as a developed nation before their eyes. We all will be stakeholders in this journey,” Modi said.

The national capital should be a part of this glorious journey, he added. “In Delhi, people blessed the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections and now, in the assembly polls, are set to bless the BJP. This is a golden opportunity to win the heart of Delhi and free it of disaster (‘aapda’),” he said.

“I feel like laughing when the PM talks about the education system in Delhi…Today, many big people from across the world come to Delhi to see the schools here. I would also invite PM Modi to come and see the government schools and decide if work has been done or not. It is unfortunate that he is saying this from a big stage,” Bharadwaj said. Earlier in the day, PM Modi, who was in the national capital, attacked AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal and said that Delhi has been surrounded by an ‘Aapda’ for the last 10 years. 

“In the last 10 years, Delhi has been surrounded by an ‘Aapda.’ By keeping Anna Hazare at the front, a few ‘kattar beimaan’ people have pushed Delhi towards ‘Aapda.’ ‘AAP aapda bankar Delhi par toot padi hai’,” he said while addressing a public meeting in Ashok Vihar’s Ramlila Ground.

#WATCH | On PM Modi terming Delhi govt as “Aapda Sarkar”, AAP leader Saurabh Bharadwaj says, “I feel like laughing when the PM talks about the education system in Delhi…Today, many big people from across the world come to Delhi to see the schools here. I would also invite PM… pic.twitter.com/qS18xDh4YR — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2025

Continuing his attack on the AAP, the Prime Minister said, “…Ye AAP, ye ‘aapda,’ Delhi par aayi hai’, and hence the people of Delhi have waged a war against aapda.'” Voters of Delhi have made up their minds to free Delhi from this ‘aapda.’ Every voter of Delhi is saying, ‘Aapda ko nahi sahenge, badal ke rahenge…'”

Lashing out at the BJP, The AAP minister said that they had promised that everyone in the country would have a permanent house by 2022, and the deadline has passed. The BJP had said they would provide 2.5 crore people with permanent houses by 2020, but in 2025 they are just giving away 1,675 flats, he said, adding that this was humiliating the poor.

“BJP had promised that everyone in the country would have a permanent house by 2022. We are three years past the deadline. I can’t talk about the entire country, but let us talk about Delhi. Has the PM given people permanent housing here? They had talked about giving 2.5 crore people permanent houses in Delhi by 2022. Now in 2025, they are giving away just 1,675 flats. This is a humiliation for the poor,” Bharadwaj told ANI.

He further said that lakhs of poor people from the slums have been displaced by the central government’s Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and Railways, who have been sleeping under flyovers. “I can challenge this. The central government’s DDA, Railways, etc., have displaced lakhs of poor people (from slums), and they are now sleeping under flyovers, in night shelters. I want the central government to give assurance that they will take action against the officials who have done this. We would like to know what action is taken against them,” the AAP leader said.