BJP sweeps Delhi: Here are 5 reasons why

The AAP was battling anti-incumbency and internal disarray due to its senior leaders spending extended periods of time in jail.

It also appeared that the party had lost the confidence of the middle class who did not benefit from its politics of welfarism, but were impacted by the poor state of roads and civic amenities in Delhi.

Here are five reasons why the BJP seems likely to take power in Delhi for the next five years.

1. 01

   Focus on the middle class

   The AAP was born out of the middle class’s frustration with the political status quo. However, over the years, it has come to be increasingly seen by this class as a party that works only for the poor, with welfare schemes such as 200 units of free electricity and free bus travel for women.

   Kejriwal did try to pivot to middle class concerns in his speeches ahead of the election, but that seems to have been too little and possibly too late.

   The BJP, meanwhile, wooed this voter segment assiduously through several outreach programs including RWA meetings. The icing on the cake came through the massive tax cut announced by the government in the Union Budget.

   The definition of “middle class” varies, but according to a 2022 report by the People Research on India’s Consumer Economy, this section makes up 67.16% of Delhi’s population. The BJP appears to have managed to make deep inroads into this votebank.

2. 02

   Declaration that no AAP schemes would be stopped

   While the BJP, including the Prime Minister himself, had earlier derided welfare schemes as revadis (freebies), in Delhi, it was careful to emphasise that none of the ongoing schemes of the AAP government would be stopped if it came to power.

   This was announced by Modi himself, giving it added weight that helped counter the AAP’s claim that the poor would lose out on benefits if the BJP was voted in.

   The BJP’s promise, therefore, was something of an ‘AAP-plus’ — welfare plus the ideas of Hindu asmita and national pride that the BJP is often associated with.

3. 03

   Poor condition of roads and sewers

   The major factor that contributed massively to AAP's unpopularity was the poor condition of the capital’s roads and sewers. Overflowing drains, potholed roads, and irregular garbage collection had angered voters across the national capital.

   The fact that the AAP is in power in the MCD as well meant it could not pass the buck to the BJP, saying the central government, through the Lieutenant Governor (LG), was not allowing it to work.

   “We could not improve roads or ensure better garbage management… In gated colonies and middle- and upper middle-class areas, the poor condition of the roads has emerged as a significant issue,” a senior AAP leader had told The Indian Express before the elections.

   Another leader had acknowledged, “Poor roads, cleanliness and overflowing sewers are usually associated with unauthorised colonies but over the past two years have become a pan-Delhi problem.”

4. 04

   The relentless LG-AAP tussle

   The explanation the AAP gave for poor roads and lack of civic work was that the LG was holding up projects. The past few years have been marked by increased acrimony between the Delhi government and the LG, who holds significant power in the national capital.

   Voters seem to have decided that a BJP government was likely to function more smoothly alongside a Centre-appointed LG. This is in line with the BJP's promise of a “double engine” government, where the governments at both Centre and UT-level work for New Delhi in tandem.

5. 05

   Anti-incumbency

   AAP, which was formed in 2012, came to power in Delhi the following year, and has been in power continuously since 2015.

   That the AAP was aware of anti-incumbency was apparent from its candidate list. However, the last-minute changes were not enough to counter the unpopularity of some MLAs, seen as unavailable and inaccessible.