GUWAHATI: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday, February 8, lost his New Delhi seat to BJP’s Parvesh Verma in the ongoing vote count from the Delhi elections, marking a setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Adding to AAP’s woes, former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia lost from the Jangpura constituency, conceding defeat to BJP’s Tarvinder Singh Marwah by a narrow margin of 600 votes.
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At 1 PM, the BJP was leading in 48 of the capital’s 70 seats, while AAP was ahead in only 22.
Kejriwal, who had held the seat since 2013, finished around 1,200 votes behind Verma, a former two-time MP and son of ex-Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma. The former’s defeat comes as AAP faces a humiliating rout in Delhi’s Assembly elections.
Sisodia, meanwhile, who had previously won three consecutive elections from Patparganj, had switched seats this time by contesting from the Jangpura constituency. He managed to poll 30724 votes against Marwah’s 31593.
Despite the loss, Sisodia acknowledged the party’s efforts and congratulated Marwah, hoping he would serve the constituency well. He stated that the results would be analysed to understand the reasons behind AAP’s poor performance.
Sisodia, credited with overhauling Delhi’s government school system, had been a key pillar of AAP’s governance model. However, his political career took a hit after his arrest in February 2023 over corruption allegations linked to the now-scrapped liquor excise policy. Following nearly 18 months in jail, he was granted bail by the Supreme Court.
The double blow of Kejriwal and Sisodia’s defeats has triggered serious questions about AAP’s future. With two of its top leaders losing ground and another key figure, Atishi, trailing in her race, the party’s leadership is under intense scrutiny. Meanwhile, BJP has marked its return to the national capital's leadership after 27 years.
