WHAT SWUNG THE VOTE...

Dhrubo Jyoti decodes the factors that worked to bring the BJP to power in the Capital after 27 years, and why the AAP was voted out

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Corruption

When the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged from the cauldron of the anti-corruption movement in 2012, it marked a moment of rupture in Indian politics. The summer of discontent that had swept the Capital bestowed the infant party and its muffler-wrapped technocrat leader with a sheen that differentiated it from every other outfit, old or young. The AAP signified a break with grubby deal-making, and its leaders were seen as transparent, accountable and grounded. Even when the Bharatiya Janata Party's juggernaut appeared to be steamrolling its way through the Indian political landscape, this armour helped the AAP deflect many attacks and keep itself relevant nationally, despite controlling a small city-state. When the party later shifted focus to things such as delivery, the air of incorruptibility remained at the core of its brand.

Two years ago, the first dents appeared on that armour.

That summer, a much-publicised liquor policy ran into the first allegations of corruption. As charges mounted and central agencies entered the fray, politics took over. One senior leader after another was charged with corruption and sent to jail - Satyender Jain, Sanjay Singh, Manish Sisodia. When then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in the spring of 2024 - with just months to go for the general elections - virtually the entire front line leadership of the party was behind bars. One court after another denied the leaders bail, and some even commented that prima facie, the charges appeared serious and credible.

To be sure, the Opposition repeatedly said that the allegations were trumped up and a political ploy to weaken the party. But each news cycle brought a fresh charge or leak from a federal agency, a barrage of barbs from the BJP leaders, and visuals of AAP leaders being taken in for questioning or to prison. Each news cycle was a fresh blow on the armour of incorruptibility.