The 2020 Delhi Verdict

The spectacular majority mark for Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Delhi polls did not astonish the people, as 67 seats in the 2015 Delhi assembly elections followed by the BJP’s victory in local body elections in 2017 and the parliamentary elections in 2019 always kept reminding us of the emergence of a different voting pattern, as reported during the last six years. People proved their pragmatism by casting votes for the continuing AAP government, sidelining the other national and emotional assurances promised by the BJP, as Delhi’s good governance remained popular among the people. The voters in Delhi prioritised AAP’s performance of the last five years, discarding the communal agenda prevalent in the election campaign of the BJP. The top leadership of the BJP failed to defy the good governance of AAP, as people have been availing a lot of basic facilities tended to localities in accordance with the promises made in the 2015 elections.

Despite the BJP’s victory in the previous general elections, with a thumping majo­rity, the voters in the Delhi assembly elections, understood the relevance of local ­issues over national issues. People in Delhi already happen to be eye witnesses of the social welfare measures taken by the AAP government, despite Delhi not having the full-fledged status of a state. Mohalla clinics, modernisation of government schools, installation of Wi-Fi, and freebies for electricity, water, and transportation acted as catalysts for attracting the AAP voters, keeping aside the achievements of the BJP, namely the abrogation of Article 370, Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019, Ram
Mandir, etc.