The 2013 Maha Kumbh marked Arvind Kejriwal’s stunning rise as he ended Sheila Dikshit’s Congress rule of 15 years. Twelve years later, another Maha Kumbh is marking his exit. The manner in which he fell in the eyes of the capital’s ‘aam aadmi’, it seems Kejriwal, who said he wanted to clean up Delhi, got swept away in the Yamuna’s murky water.
The Aam Aadmi Party was born of a movement, not conventional politics. Kejriwal, then a tax commissioner turned anti-corruption activist, had captured the imagination of Delhi’s middle classes who were disillusioned with scams and a policy paralysis during the Congress-led UPA 2. He rode to power promising to “change the way politics is normally done”, introduced the Jan Lokpal Bill to cleanse the system of ‘muck’, and selected the broom as his party’s symbol to evoke cleanliness. He stood for nothing less than a thorough disruption of the status quo.
The first AAP government, set up in 2013 in collaboration with the Congress, collapsed after only 49 days; Kejriwal cited disagreements over the Jan Lokpal Bill as the reason. His resignation only fuelled AAP’s popularity. In 2015, AAP won a landslide, securing 67 of the Delhi assembly’s 70 seats. Kejriwal’s promise of free electricity and water, and improvements in health and education cemented him as a leader for the common people. No wonder that the party repeated its success in 2020, winning 62 seats and defying BJP’s national dominance.
However, with power came scrutiny, and the cracks began to surface. This time, AAP was no longer an underdog fighting a corrupt system — it had become the system.
The irony of AAP’s collapse is that the very issue that brought it to power — corruption — became its Achilles’ heel. The party that once promised an honest government found itself embroiled in the liquor policy scam, which led to the arrests of its top leaders, including Manish Sisodia, and Kejriwal himself. The scam painted the party as one that had betrayed its core promise of transparency.
Adding to the damage was the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ controversy, where the chief minister’s lavish residence renovation — allegedly costing Rs 33.66 crore — was used by the opposition to highlight the distance from the common man. For a leader who once mocked ‘VIP culture’ and flaunted his modesty, the revelations shattered his carefully cultivated image of simplicity.
AAP frequently blamed the BJP-led Centre for its governance challenges, accusing it of deliberately creating roadblocks. Whether it was the delay in clearing the state budget, control over bureaucrats or tussle over services, AAP maintained that it was being deliberately sabotaged.
This narrative of victimhood worked for a while. But by 2025, the electorate had become weary of it. After a decade in power, voters expected solutions, not excuses. The BJP’s ‘double-engine government’ pitch resonated with those who saw AAP as perpetually engaged in conflict rather than governance.
Unfulfilled promises — particularly the failure to curb air pollution — became a major election issue. Despite grand announcements, the crisis remained severe, exposing AAP’s limitations in tackling one of Delhi’s most pressing problems.
The middle class, once AAP’s core vote base, gradually drifted away. The Modi government’s income tax relief, announced just before the elections, was attractive. The BJP successfully projected itself as the champion of the urban salaried class, undercutting AAP’s base.
Kejriwal’s appeal once lay in his ability to connect with this constituents — office-goers, small business owners and professionals. But as AAP’s image took a hit, these voters found BJP’s promise of stability and financial relief more appealing.
Kejriwal was once AAP’s greatest asset. His simplicity and ability to take on powerful figures made him a star. But as governance challenges persisted and his attention was diverted by other state elections, his stardom dimmed.
Can the party recover in the capital? For now, the dream run is over. Kejriwal, who once shook Delhi’s politics, is now fighting for relevance.