‘Parivartan’ theme resonated strongly with voters

The high-voltage election for the Delhi Assembly has concluded, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reclaiming power after nearly 27 years. According to the BJP, Delhi has been freed from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and a crushing blow has been delivered to Arvind Kejriwal's leadership.

The BJP secured 48 out of 70 seats, comfortably surpassing the majority mark of 36. The victory for BJP is historic as prominent ‘AAP Da’ leaders including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, his trusted aides Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, key figures like Satyendra Jain, Somnath Bharti, and Saurabh Bhardwaj lost.

This victory is historic, marking BJP's first majority in Delhi in nearly three decades. The party’s campaign theme of "Parivartan" (change) resonated strongly with voters. AAP, which entered politics under the banner of the India Against Corruption movement led by Anna Hazare in 2011, with the promise to establish strict anti-corruption measures eventually distanced itself from Hazare and rode to power under the AAP banner, using the broom as its election symbol.

Kejriwal who began his political journey with a people-first approach but became overly ambitious. He relied on short-term populist policies, assuming that freebies such as free water, electricity, and direct cash transfers would secure his political future indefinitely. Like the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana, Kejriwal also aspired to expand his influence at the national level. However, in doing so, he seemingly overlooked the aspirations of the people of Delhi and took their support for granted.

These election results send a strong message to regional parties that have been claiming the future belongs to them. Recent elections in states like Haryana, Maharashtra, and now Delhi have made it evident that regional parties must focus on governing their respective states efficiently rather than chasing national ambitions.

Sustainable development and revenue generation should be prioritised so that welfare measures can be implemented without fiscal strain, ensuring overall growth. Furthermore, regional parties must move away from negative rhetoric and instead leverage central government schemes effectively. If additional resources are generated, they should be used to enhance existing initiatives rather than fueling political propaganda.

Instead of relying on social media campaigns and misleading narratives, parties should concentrate on real governance that delivers tangible results.

Anna Hazare rightly remarked, "A candidate’s conduct and thoughts should be pure, life should be without blame, and sacrifice should be present. These qualities let voters have faith in him."

Though the BJP is celebrating its victory, it must recognise that it has inherited a city grappling with severe issues such as water shortages, drainage problems, bad roads, high levels of air pollution and garbage mismanagement. These fundamental concerns weighed heavily on voters, who assessed their quality of life against the backdrop of aggressive election campaigns. If the BJP fails to address these challenges urgently, it could risk squandering this golden opportunity. Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the people of Delhi have dismantled the "sheesh mahal" (glass palace) of lies, deceit, and corruption, making the city "AAP-da free." But they have a bigger AAP da ahead if they fail to play the role of game changer.