Delhi Elections: Can AAP’s Jhaadu Sweep Away The BJP, Congress Threat Again?

New Delhi: The final leg of campaigning for the upcoming Delhi elections ended on Monday evening with high-decibel rallies and sharp political attacks. BJP, AAP, and Congress made their last push for votes, and now, the fate of the candidates rests in the hands of voters who will head to the polling booths on February 5.

Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a public meeting in Jangpura, taking direct aim at AAP leader Manish Sisodia. Targeting the former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister for switching his contesting Assembly seat for the 2025 polls, Shah said, "Manish Sisodia has come here. Ask him what happened that made him leave Patparganj?"

Throughout the 27-day high-voltage campaign, phrases like ‘Sheesh Mahal,’ ‘Yamuna poisoning,’ and ‘AAP-da party’ repeatedly appeared in the saffron party’s poll rhetoric in the national capital. The BJP also attempted to woo the middle class by assuring them that none of the welfare schemes established by AAP would be scrapped. The party even outbid the ruling party in promises to women voters—while AAP vowed financial assistance of ₹2,100 for women, the BJP promised ₹2,500 if it came to power after a 27-year gap.

AAP is trying hard to counter anti-incumbency by targeting the BJP over its lack of a chief ministerial face. Kejriwal’s faction has been referring to the BJP as a "Bin Dulhe Ki Baarat" (wedding party without a groom). The party has also blamed Amit Shah for the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Delhi and accused the BJP of ‘hooliganism.’ AAP countered BJP's 'AAP-da' remarks by calling it a "Gali Galauj Party," accusing its leader Ramesh Bidhuri of using "abusive language."

Meanwhile, Congress is banking on Priyanka and Rahul Gandhi’s last-minute push. The party is aiming to dent AAP’s minority vote bank by wooing Muslim voters, who constitute a decisive 13% of Delhi’s 1.55 crore electorate. Congress has also formed EAGLE—Empowered Action Group of Leaders and Experts—to oversee election logistics.

With 699 candidates vying for 70 seats, the Delhi elections are being viewed as a test of AAP’s governance model and a crucial battleground for the BJP and Congress as they seek to reclaim political ground in the capital.

The outcome on February 8 will determine whether AAP secures a third straight term or if the BJP and Congress manage to stage a comeback in Delhi.