Delhi Legislative Assembly elections being just around the corner is not the only reason people are looking at how various parties fared over last few elections. The tale of Delhi is unique as it showcases fall of a giant and rise of another from its ashes. Indian National Congress, the grand old party of India, around the time when it was quite used to being a dominant force nationally, ruled the state of Delhi for 15 years. Sheila Dikshit, the late Congress leader represented a massive political heft Congress had in the national capital.
Back in 1993, after state reorganisation, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to grab power. But after a single five-year term, which saw three chief ministers, BJP lost its grip which it is trying to re-establish till date.
Congress managed a hat-trick of assembly election victories in 1998, 2003 and 2008. And under stable leadership of Shiela Dikshit, it appeared that the party was set for another stint.
Along came Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which established a near total grip on Delhi's power corridors.
The Rise Of Kejriwal
Arvind Kejriwal, a hitherto unknown figure, rose to prominence during Anna Hazare's anti-corruption movement in the year 2011. The 'India Against Corruption' (IAC) agitation gained momentum nationally and was even seen to be emblematic of common Indian citizens' frustration over rampant corruption in public offices.
Following the Lokpal agitation, group of IAC leaders under Arvind Kejriwal decided to foray into politics, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was formed in November 2012. Anna Hazare, the key figure in the IAC agitation, did not want to tread the political waters.
The momentum generated by the anti-corruption agitation resulted in AAP bagging 28 out of 70 seats in Delhi assembly, largely at the expense of Congress, which saw a massive dip of 35 seats in its tally and had to be content with 8. BJP was at 32.
AAP formed government with outside support of Congress in December 2013. However, within 49 days into his tenure as Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal resigned citing the party's inability to table Jan Lokpal Bill in the assembly. There was strong opposition from other parties to the bill.
Delhi remained under president's rule for about a year following which assembly elections were declared to take place in February 2015.
2015 Polls: AAP's Moment In The Sun, Congress' Rout
It was widely considered before 2015 polls that AAP's victory in previous elections was a fluke and the momentum of IAC agitation was a matter of distant past.
It was at this time that AAP hit a sixer and established itself as a political power to be reckoned with in Delhi.
In 2015 elections, AAP won 67 out of 70 seats in the assembly. BJP, previously the single largest party in the House, could only salvage 3 seats.
Congress, formerly the undisputed ruler of Delhi state for one-and-a-half-decade, could not win a single seat.
Congress' Shiela Dikshit reflected on the grand-old-party's political decline in Delhi in her autobiography published in 2018.
"A considerable chunk of voters, who were casting their ballot for the first time, had not seen the Delhi of 15 years ago. To them a Delhi with regular power, flyovers and Metro rail, as well as several new universities, was their ‘natural right’ and therefore taken for granted. They could not be expected to feel ecstatic about it,” says the 79-year-old who ruled the state from 1998 to 2013," she says.
About AAP, the former Delhi CM said that Congress failed to take the challenge seriously.
“I myself was defeated by a margin of over 25,000 votes, losing the prestigious New Delhi seat to Arvind Kejriwal of AAP, a party that many of us had underestimated," wrote Dikshit in her autobiography.
Congress drew a blank in 2020 legislative assembly elections as well.
Current Situation
No party or a political pundit would dare write AAP off before elections this time. But it is widely considered that the party has a challenge set in front of it.
Political predictions still favour AAP and say that party will be able to retain its hold on power. But it is expected that BJP will make dent in AAP's vote bank and will be able to increase its tally.
Congress' prospects don't seem to have improved much.
Currently, AAP has 58 out of 70 seats in Delhi assembly. BJP has 7 while 5 seats are vacant.
Voting for elections will take place on February 5. Results will be declared on February 8.