India: Modi’s BJP wins Delhi election, Kejriwal loses seat

NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the gains made by his Hindu nationalist BJP. Arvind Kejriwal, a fierce Modi critic, accepted defeat after his anti-corruption AAP was handily defeated in the race.Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday gained back majority control of New Delhi’s legislature for the first time since 1998.The BJP won over 40 seats out of the 70 in total in Delhi’s Legislative Assembly. BJP supporters took to the streets in celebration after the win.“Development wins, good governance triumphs,” Modi said in a post on X. “I bow to my dear sisters and brothers of Delhi for this resounding and historic mandate to @BJP4India. We are humbled and honored to receive these blessings.”Indian Interior Minister and BJP member Amit Shah called the win a “sign of the people’s faith in Prime Minister Modi’s vision of progress.”It’s a blow to the opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which was founded in 2012 on an anti-corruption platform. AAP, which Arvind Kejriwal leads, has been in power in Delhi, which is India’s capital, since 2015.Opposition figure Kejriwal congratulates BJP”We accept the verdict and congratulate the BJP,” Kejriwal said in a video address after the loss. Kejriwal served as Delhi’s Chief Minister from 2013 to 2014 and 2015 to 2024.Kejriwal, along with other Delhi officials, was taken into custody in March last year, accused of receiving kickbacks in exchange for the granting of liquor licenses in the city.His arrest, which occurred weeks before the first phase of the 2024 Indian general election, was labeled by the opposition as election interference. The German government said India is expected to uphold “basic democratic principles” after the arrest, with India summoning Germany’s ambassador in response.Fellow AAP member Atishi Marlena took over as Chief Minister of Delhi in September 2024, after Kejriwal stepped down from the position. She kept her seat in the 2025 Delhi election.Economic support, Delhi infrastructure concerns on voters’ mindsAAP won previous elections due to welfare programs to help the impoverished, such as free water and power. For the 2025 election, the BJP announced its own anti-poverty initiatives of offering monthly payments to poor women along with help for the elderly.The BJP campaigned on improving Delhi’s air quality. Indian news outlet Indian Express reported that the poor condition of Delhi’s roads and sewers also led to voters in the capital turning away from the incumbent AAP.The BJP victory in Delhi comes after Modi’s government lost its parliamentary majority in the general election last year. Earlier this month, the Modi government introduced tax cuts for the middle class, amid fears that economic growth is slowing down.