Is This the Beginning of the End for AAP? Analyzing Delhi’s Political Shift

The 2025 Delhi Assembly elections have reshaped the political landscape of the national capital, with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) suffering a major setback and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) securing a decisive victory. With BJP winning 48 out of 70 seats and AAP reduced to 22, many political analysts and critics are declaring this as the beginning of the end for Arvind Kejriwal and his party. But is it truly the end of AAP, or just a momentary political setback?

AAP’s Defeat: A Hard Reality Check

While BJP won by a huge margin in terms of seats, the difference in vote share is relatively small. BJP secured 45.56% votes, while AAP got 43.57% votes—a gap of just 2%. Yet, this slight difference translated into BJP gaining 26 more seats than AAP, highlighting how closely contested the elections were in many constituencies.

However, the real concern for AAP is its declining vote share. In the 2020 elections, AAP had secured 53.57% of the votes and won 62 seats. In 2025, it lost 10% of its vote share, leading to a significant drop in seats. Meanwhile, BJP increased its vote share by 7.3%, making massive gains from its 2020 tally of just 8 seats.

Why Did AAP Lose?

Governance Fatigue & Unfulfilled Promises
- AAP’s core promises—cleaning the Yamuna, better sanitation, and improved air quality—remained largely unfulfilled.
- Public frustration over civic issues like garbage management and water shortages dented AAP’s credibility.
Corruption Allegations
- The liquor scam, the Sheesh Mahal controversy, and allegations of financial irregularities damaged Kejriwal’s “clean politics” image.
- Many voters saw AAP as no different from other traditional parties when it came to corruption.
Leadership Crisis
- Kejriwal’s personal defeat in New Delhi constituency against BJP’s Parvesh Verma by over 4,000 votes was a major embarrassment.
- Multiple AAP leaders faced legal troubles, with some even getting arrested. The party appeared to be in damage control mode rather than focusing on governance.
Misjudging the Opposition
- AAP underestimated BJP’s aggressive campaign, which focused on nationalism, Modi’s leadership, and the failures of the Delhi government.
- The party also lost crucial ground among Hindu voters, especially due to BJP’s “Hanuman Bhakts vs. Corrupt AAP” narrative.

Is This the End of AAP?

Not necessarily. While AAP is facing its toughest political crisis, calling it the “end” of the party is premature. Here’s why:

AAP Still Has a Strong Vote Share
- AAP remains Delhi’s second-largest party with a 43.57% vote share, far ahead of Congress, which got just 6.34%.
- It still has a significant base of supporters, especially among the lower and middle-class voters.
Panjab Government & National Party Status
- AAP still governs Punjab, where it won a landslide victory in 2022.
- In 2023, the Election Commission granted AAP “National Party” status, making it the only regional party with such recognition apart from Congress and BJP.
Opposition Politics May Work in Kejriwal’s Favor
- Kejriwal has always thrived as an anti-establishment leader.
- Now that AAP is back in the opposition, he may regain lost political ground by attacking BJP’s governance.

Challenges Ahead for AAP

However, the road ahead is tough for Kejriwal and his party:

More Legal Troubles: If Kejriwal is arrested or faces further corruption investigations, AAP’s credibility could take a fatal hit.
Reviving Public Trust: The party must address key voter grievances, especially on governance and corruption.
Expanding Beyond Delhi-Punjab: AAP needs a stronger presence in other states to remain a serious political player.

Conclusion: A Temporary Setback, Not a Permanent Defeat

While AAP’s loss is significant, it is not the end of the party. However, the 2025 Delhi elections have exposed major weaknesses in AAP’s governance and political strategy. If Kejriwal does not course-correct, this setback could indeed lead to AAP’s long-term decline.

The coming months will be crucial for AAP—whether it reinvents itself as a stronger opposition force or fades into political irrelevance will depend on its actions from here on.

What do you think? Is this truly the beginning of AAP’s downfall, or can Kejriwal make a comeback? Let us know in the comments!