The Congress party appears to be heading for another dismal performance in the Delhi assembly elections, with early counting trends suggesting that it may draw a blank for the third consecutive time. As votes continue to be counted for the 70 assembly constituencies, the party, which was briefly leading in the early rounds from Badli, is now trailing in all seats, making a political comeback in the national capital seem increasingly unlikely.
Once the dominant force in Delhi politics, Congress ruled the capital for 15 years until 2013 under Sheila Dikshit’s leadership. However, the party has since struggled to regain its foothold, facing two consecutive electoral wipeouts in 2015 and 2020. Ahead of the 2025 elections, Congress made an all-out effort to revive its presence, with top leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra leading multiple rallies to woo voters. Despite these efforts, the latest trends suggest that the party has been unable to reverse its fortunes.
Several exit polls had predicted a hat-trick of zeroes for Congress, which now appears to be materializing. The last time the party won seats in the Delhi assembly was in 2013, when it secured eight constituencies with a vote share of 24.55 percent. That election saw a three-way contest where the Bharatiya Janata Party emerged as the single-largest party with 31 seats, while the Aam Aadmi Party, in its electoral debut, won 28 seats and later formed a short-lived government with Congress’ support. However, the AAP-Congress alliance collapsed within 49 days, leading to fresh elections.
Meanwhile, the ongoing contest between AAP and BJP is shaping up to be a high-stakes battle. The ruling AAP, led by Arvind Kejriwal, is seeking a fourth consecutive term, while BJP is determined to make a comeback after being out of power in Delhi since 1998. According to early results published by the Election Commission, BJP is leading in 41 seats, while AAP is ahead in 29.
While Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia are leading in their respective constituencies, AAP’s chief minister Atishi is trailing, adding to the party’s challenges. If AAP manages to secure another victory, it will mark its fourth consecutive term in Delhi, surpassing Congress’ record of 15 years in power. However, exit polls had already given BJP an edge over AAP, signaling a tough contest. With trends indicating a strong BJP performance and yet another setback for Congress, Delhi’s political landscape seems poised for a significant shift.
