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Yogendra Yadav, the former AAP leader and co-founder of the Swaraj India party, has expressed grave concerns about the consequences of the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) defeat in the recent Delhi assembly elections. He warns that the loss could signal the shrinking space for alternative politics, which he argues is becoming increasingly dominated by the major political players, leaving the underprivileged communities marginalized.
AAP’s Loss: A Reflection on Leadership
In his opinion piece for The Indian Express, Yadav acknowledges that AAP’s defeat was a verdict on its decade-long rule, pointing out that the party, which once promised to transform politics, ultimately failed to live up to its ideals. Yadav criticized the party’s evolution, particularly its shift toward a personality-driven leadership model. He highlighted how AAP, under Arvind Kejriwal’s leadership, had deviated from its foundational values and adopted the same political practices it once sought to replace.
Yadav reflected on how the party’s initial Gandhian claims were undermined by internal contradictions. He pointed out the concentration of power within Kejriwal’s leadership, the manipulative political tactics employed by his close allies, and the party’s growing disregard for its grassroots workers. “In the Supreme Leader’s personality cult, AAP proved no different from the mainstream parties it sought to replace,” Yadav wrote.
Concerns Over BJP’s Growing Dominance
While acknowledging AAP’s shortcomings, Yadav also expressed concern about the broader political implications of the election outcome, particularly the strengthening of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) position in Delhi. He warned that the BJP’s victory could further entrench its political dominance and contribute to the erosion of democratic institutions. Yadav criticized the BJP’s alleged interference in Delhi’s governance through the Lieutenant Governor and its use of central agencies to target AAP leaders.
He also raised alarms over the rise of majoritarian politics in the capital, particularly following the success of BJP leaders like Kapil Mishra. Yadav suggested that the BJP’s continued dominance could worsen the vulnerability of Delhi’s Muslim community, further polarizing the political environment.
AAP’s Governance: Achievements and Shortcomings
Yadav conceded that AAP had made significant contributions to improving public services in Delhi, such as advances in public education and welfare schemes like free electricity and bus rides for women. However, he also critiqued the party’s governance model, highlighting its failure in several key areas, including urban infrastructure, pollution control, and rural development.
In particular, Yadav took issue with the party’s handling of the 2020 Delhi riots, suggesting that AAP’s efforts to counter the BJP’s Hindutva politics resulted in a lack of decisive action during a crucial moment. He also argued that the party failed to adequately address the concerns of Delhi’s underprivileged communities, which it had once promised to uplift.
BJP’s Resurgence in Delhi
In the election, the BJP made a dramatic return to power in Delhi after 27 years, securing 48 of the 70 assembly seats, while AAP’s share drastically dropped to just 22, down from 62 seats in the 2020 election. Congress, which had aligned with AAP under the INDIA bloc, fought separately in the 2025 elections but failed to secure any seats in the Delhi assembly.
Yadav’s reflections highlight the ongoing struggle in Indian politics, where alternative political forces, such as AAP, seem to be losing ground to the established powers. His concerns over the marginalization of underprivileged communities and the growing dominance of majoritarian politics underline the stakes of the current political climate in Delhi.
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