'Sheesh Mahal' To Liquor Case: Big Factors Behind AAP's Delhi Setback

Two hours into the counting, the BJP is headed for a massive win in the Delhi Assembly polls. The AAP, which reduced the BJP to single-digit scores in the last election, has taken a big hit this time and has fallen behind the Opposition party.

Here's What Went Wrong For AAP in Delhi

Anti-Incumbency

AAP scored big victories in Delhi in the 2015 and 2020 polls. And its first two terms saw impressive work in sectors such as health and education. Power and water subsidies kept voters happy and the BJP, despite sweeping Lok Sabha polls in the national capital, struggled to gain ground during Assembly polls. But with time, unfulfilled promises, among them better air quality, started bothering Delhiites. The ruling AAP asserted that the BJP government at the Centre was creating roadblocks in its functioning. But ten years into AAP rule, voters saw such allegations as excuses. Against the backdrop of the AAP's constant run-ins with the Centre, the BJP's 'double engine' promise appealed to the masses and the results reflect that.

'Sheesh Mahal'

In the run-up to the election, the BJP's attack on Arvind Kejriwal focused on 'Sheesh Mahal' -- a term used to refer to the renovated Chief Minister's residence when Mr Kejriwal was in office. What added ammo to the BJP's charge is a report Comptroller and Auditor General of India. The CAG probe, according to news reports, found that the preliminary estimate for the renovation was Rs 7.91 crore. This went up to 8.62 crore when work was awarded in 2020. But by the time the Public Works Department completed the job in 2022, the cost had jumped to Rs 33.66 crore.

The AAP countered the 'Sheesh Mahal' charge with the 'Rajmahal' barb, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of an opulent lifestyle and daring the BJP to show the Prime Minister's residence. But the BJP's relentless campaign appears to have influenced voters, especially because it played out against AAP's promise of clean politics and Mr Kejriwal's claims to remove VIP future.

Liquor Policy

The AAP government's current term witnessed a massive uproar over corruption allegations surrounding Delhi's now-scrapped liquor policy. The BJP accused the Arvind Kejriwal government of "turning Delhi into a city of drunkards" after the new policy brought 'Buy 1 Get 1 free' offers on liquor bottles. The AAP consistently denied any allegation in the liquor policy, which was scrapped less than a year after it was improved.

Probes by central agencies led to the arrest of top leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh. After Mr Sisodia was arrested, he stepped down as Deputy Chief Minister and AAP had to rejig its cabinet. Then Mr Kejriwal was arrested and remained in prison for five months. The arrests of multiple top leaders kept the AAP in firefighting mode throughout its third term, taking the focus away from fulfilling its 2020 poll promises.