Parvesh Verma leads in New Delhi, Kejriwal trails

Arvind Kejriwal, seeking his fourth term, is trailing in New Delhi, his stronghold since 2013. BJP’s Parvesh Verma has taken the lead, early trends show. Congress’ Sandeep Dikshit, son of former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, is also in the race.

Initial trends put BJP ahead in 28 seats, AAP in 24, and Congress in one. The battle for Delhi remains tight as counting continues. Exit polls had predicted a strong BJP performance, projecting 45–55 seats, while AAP faces major losses.

AAP’s campaign suffered due to the Delhi liquor policy case. Kejriwal and his former deputy, Manish Sisodia, spent months in jail. Both AAP and BJP focused on public school and healthcare reforms, key issues for voters.

The election result will decide if AAP retains control or BJP makes a comeback after nearly three decades. Counting began at 8 a.m. across all 70 constituencies.

AAP reshaped Delhi politics over the last decade. In 2013, BJP won 31 seats but fell short of a majority. AAP and Congress formed a government, but it collapsed in 49 days, leading to President’s Rule.

In 2015, AAP secured a landslide victory, winning 67 of 70 seats. BJP got three, and Congress won none. AAP repeated its success in 2020, taking 62 seats while BJP improved to eight. Congress again failed to win a seat.

Today’s result will determine if AAP defends its stronghold or BJP breaks its losing streak in Delhi. The final numbers will reveal the capital’s political future.