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As BJP wins big in Delhi Vidhan Sabha election, ‘political pundits’ blame Congress for making AAP lose: Here is why they are wrong

Dibakar Dutta
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As BJP wins big in Delhi Vidhan Sabha election, ‘political pundits’ blame Congress for making AAP lose: Here is why they are wrong

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) took a severe drubbing in the 2025 Delhi Vidhan Sabha election, losing its seat count from 62 in 2020 to just 22. The BJP emerged victorious and bagged 48 seats. The Congress party failed to win a single seat.

Political pundits and controversial ‘journalists’ soon began claiming that had Congress entered into a political alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party, the latter would have ended close to the majority mark.

They even went on to reprimand the Congress for somehow letting the BJP win. ‘Political pundit’ Sumanth Raman lashed out, “Congress
has done a near-perfect demolition job. Predicted this both on TV and on X days ago.”

He claimed that AAP would have won 10 extra seats if Congress somehow did not ‘cut votes’, taking the total tally of the Arvind Kejriwal-led-party to 32 and close to the majority mark of 36.

Controversial ‘journalist’ Rajdeep Sardesai made similar allegations, although he suggested AAP would have benefitted in 13 Vidhan Sabha constituencies (instead of 10) without a direct contest with the Congress party.

He brazened out, “As many as 13 constituencies where Cong candidate got more votes than the gap between BJP and AAP.. (Cong finished second in one constituency). Had AAP and Cong fought together, several more seats might have seen a neck and neck fight in Delhi.”

Similar claims were made by another ‘journalist’ turned ‘political pundit’ Preeti Choudhry. She alleged, “What if the Congress had fought alongside the Aam Aadmi Party? It was an open option until at least 2 months ago.”

“Delhi right now seems to suggest that if the Congress and AAP would have gone together, you could have won this election… It is touching 10%,” Preeti Choudhry continued.

Problems with the suggestion that the AAP-Congress alliance would be a ‘game changer’

For starters, electoral politics is not a zero-sum game. Votes do not simply transfer from one party to another, especially given the fact that AAP had originated as a counter to corruption of the Congress party.

Political pundits are using their ‘hindsight bias’ to suggest miraculous, arithmetic addition of votes along constituencies. They are making sweeping conclusions that AAP would have somehow won the election in the presence of a pre-poll alliance with the Congress.

Interestingly, political strategies are not made in isolation. Had there been a pre-poll alliance in place, the BJP would have strategised differently. A case in point is the election result of the Mehrauli Vidhan Sabha constituency.

BJP’s Gajender Singh Yadav won the seat by 1782 votes. Congress candidate Pushpa Singh had received 9338 votes. One could suggest in hindsight that in the absence of the Congress candidate, AAP’s Mahender Chaudhary would have won the seat.

It is interesting to note that Balyogi Baba Balaknath, who contested the polls independently, got more votes than the Congress candidate. He went about his own way after being denied a ticket by the BJP.

Had the BJP known about the Congress-AAP alliance, the saffron party might have given a ticket to Balyogi Baba Balaknath or persuaded him not to contest independently.

Another interesting point to note is that Congress and AAP fought in an alliance in Delhi during the 2024 Lok Sabha election. The result was a clean sweep of 7 Parliamentary constituencies by the BJP alone.

According to data points shared by journalist Padmaja Joshi, the vote share of AAP is higher in the 2025 Delhi Vidhan Sabha election than it was during the AAP-Congress coalition in the 2024 Lok Sabha election.

“This suggests that a section of the AAP’s voter base is actually averse to voting for the Congress and a mechanical addition of the Congress and AAP vote share in the 2025 elections is not the correct way to estimate the efficacy or lack of it of a possible Congress-AAP alliance,” she pointed out.

No incentive for AAP-Congress alliance

This again highlights the fact that there is never an arithmetic transfer of votes. There is however another larger point that journalist Rahul Kanwal told Preeti Choudhry when she suggested that a pre-poll Congress-AAP alliance would have ensured victory in Delhi.

He had pointed out how there was no incentive for AAP, which had an incumbent government in Delhi, to ally with the Congress party.

For context, AAP won 67 seats in the 2015 Delhi Vidhan Sabha election while Congress won 0 seats. Again, AAP won 62 seats in the 2020 Vidhan Sabha election and Congress won 0 seats.

While AAP was well aware that it was on shaky grounds this time around, it made perfect sense to not ally with a party that could only get 0 seats in 2 previous elections.

It would be mind-boggling if AAP had gone into a seat-sharing model with Congress, despite winning 62 seats last time around. And that too with a party that has nil performance in the past 10 years.

While politically motivated ‘journalists’ and ‘pundits’ alike are trying to eulogise a Congress-AAP alliance in hindsight, the overwhelming evidence suggests that it would have made no difference to BJP’s thumping victory in 2025 Delhi Vidhan Sabha election

17 US nationals and one Indian under investigation for illegal conversion of Hindus to Christianity in Nepal

OpIndia Staff
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17 US nationals and one Indian under investigation for illegal conversion of Hindus to Christianity in Nepal

On 7th February, authorities in Nepal initiated an investigation against 17 US nationals and one Indian citizen for allegedly engaging in illegal religious conversion of Hindus under the pretext of social work. As per media reports, their passports have been seized by the authorities, and the Immigration Department of Nepal is assessing legal action, which includes the possibility of deportation.

The detained individuals have been identified as Ryan Matthew Carter, Silas Daniel Fox, Russell Thomas Howells, Rose Bryan Howells, Mark Alan Summers, Matthew Bryan Kennedy, Patrick Irvin Summers, Duane Michael Godling, Benjamin Ward Kaufmann, Bryan Ward Kaufmann, Dylan Jackson Bonzo, Kathleen Sue Moore, Dawson Andrew Carter, James Nathan Austin, William Raymond Viviano Jr., Kenneth David Gray, and James Ray Murphy III. Furthermore, Basant Lama, an Indian national from West Bengal, has also been named in the investigation.

Allegations of forced religious conversion under the guise of social work

The individuals reportedly entered Nepal on tourist visas. They were volunteering to construct a building for the Prerana Kalyankari Society in Dharan, Sunsari. However, it was allegedly only a cover to convert locals to Christianity. Nepal has strict laws that prohibit religious conversions. Authorities suspect that the accused misused their tourist visas for a covert plan to convert locals.

The Chief District Officer of Sunsari, Dharmendra Kumar Mishra, confirmed that the accused were detained and questioned by the authorities. Speaking to the media, he said, “Since their visa period has not expired, we have forwarded the case to the Immigration Department for further action.” He added that if the accused are found guilty of violating Nepal’s religious and immigration laws, strict action will be taken against them.

Possible deportation and legal consequences

Initially, the arrested individuals were held at the District Police Office in Sunsari. Later, their documents were sent to the Immigration Department for further action. Officials confirmed that the individuals had entered Nepal on 15-day tourist visas. If found violating the norms, they could face deportation and entry bans under the Immigration Act 1992.

Nepal’s strict stance against forced religious conversions

The Constitution of Nepal explicitly prohibits religious conversion, reinforcing the country’s commitment to preserving its culture and religious identity. According to Article 26(2) of the Nepalese constitution, no one shall engage in activities that attempt to convert others or threaten religious harmony, with legal consequences for violations.

Missionaries converting Hindus in Nepal at a concerning pace

Christian conversion in Nepal are happening at an alarming rate. In January 2023, OpIndia reported that the Christian population has possibly increased by 68% in Nepal in less than a decade, thanks to Christian missionaries, especially from South Korea. A report by BBC titled ‘Christian missionaries target birthplace of Buddha in Nepal’ explained how South Korea, in particular, has been sending evangelists to Nepal. As per the report, Nepal had 3,76,000 Christians in 2011 (census numbers), which has increased to approx 5,45,000 now, a jump of 68%. As per the latest census, the number stood at 5,12,313 which is fairly close to the estimate.

“Shameless display…”: Swati Maliwal criticises Atishi for celebratory dance after AAP lost Delhi elections

ANI
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“Shameless display…”: Swati Maliwal criticises Atishi for celebratory dance after AAP lost Delhi elections

Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal criticised the outgoing Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, after the AAP leader was seen celebrating her victory from the Kalkaji constituency in the assembly elections.

Swati Maliwal shared a video of Atishi dancing and celebrating with supporters following her victory in the Kalkaji Assembly seat and termed it as a “shameless display,” in light of AAP’s crushing defeat in the elections.

“What kind of shameless display is this? The party lost, all the big leaders lost and Atishi Marlena is celebrating like this?” posted Swati Maliwal on X.

Atishi retained the Kalkaji seat after a hard-fought contest and defeated BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri by a margin of 3,521 votes.
Acknowledging her individual victory, Atishi conceded AAP’s defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections and vowed to continue fighting against the BJP.

Atishi’s victory stands out for AAP, especially as several of its top leaders, including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and ex-Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, lost their constituencies.

BJP’s Parvesh Verma emerged as a giant-killer in the assembly election with a decisive win of over 4,000 votes over former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi seat.

Following the results on Saturday, Maliwal attacked AAP for losing Delhi assembly elections, stating that god “punishes” those who commit crime against woman.

Maliwal’s remarks came as a veiled reference to the assault case, wherein she alleged AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s personal aide, Bibhav Kumar of ‘assaulting’ her at the then CM’s residence.

It is, however, pertinent to note that despite being a sharp critic of AAP and Kejriwal since the episode, she has still not left the party.
“If we see the history – if something wrong happens to any woman, god has punished those who commit that,” Maliwal told ANI.

Launching a blistering attack on AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, Maliwal stated that even Ravan’s pride was shattered, and “he is only Kejriwal.”
The BJP won a historic mandate in Delhi polls on Saturday, returning to power in the national capital after 27 years by ousting AAP.

The verdict came months after the BJP-led coalition swept Maharashtra polls and the party won Haryana, consolidating its domination of national politics.

The Congress, which was hoping for its revival in the national capital, again failed to win any seat. The party, which ruled Delhi for 15 years from 1998, registered a hat-trick zero tally in assembly polls.

BJP won 47 seats and is leading on one seat in Delhi assembly polls. AAP has won 22 seats. 

CAG report to be tabled in first sitting of Delhi assembly: PM Modi after BJP’s win in Delhi

ANI
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CAG report to be tabled in first sitting of Delhi assembly: PM Modi after BJP’s win in Delhi

Launching a scathing attack at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the people of Delhi that the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) report will be presented in the first assembly session as the Bharatiya Janata Party is set to form the government in the national capital.

The BJP won the assembly election by a comfortable margin today, winning 48 out of 70 assembly seats. The AAP saw a dismal performance this time, winning only 22 seats, a far cry from their 2020 performance, where they won 62 seats.

“These AAP-da (disaster) people tried to put up various conspiracies everyday to win the assembly election. But I guarantee that now the CAG report will be presented in the first assembly session, whoever has looted will have to return it,” PM Modi said, addressing thousands of party supporters at their headquarters.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal lost from the New Delhi seat, being unseated by BJP’s Parvesh Sahib Singh by a margin of over 4 thousand votes. This marked the end of a 10-year-long stint of Kejriwal.

Notably, the CAG report revealed a significant revenue loss of Rs 2,026 crore due to irregularities in the Delhi government’s excise policy. The report’s findings stated that there were deviations from the objectives of the policy, a lack of transparency in pricing, and violations in issuing licenses that were not penalised.

Of the losses amounting to Rs 2,026 crore to the state exchequer, Rs 890 crore resulted from the government’s failure to re-tender the surrendered licenses before the policy period concluded, according to the report. Additionally, the exemptions granted to the zonal licenses led to a loss of Rs 941 crore.

The Prime Minister also thanked people of Delhi for their support to BJP in assembly polls and said they are feeling relief on making the national capital “AAP-da free”.

Addressing a gathering at the party headquarters after party’s resounding victory in assembly polls, PM Modi said BJP will return love of the people of Delhi in form of progress and development.

He took jibes at the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, referring to it as “AAPda (tragedy)”.

“I thank the people of Delhi. Delhi has given us love wholeheartedly and I once again assure the people that we will return you double the love in the form of development,” he said.”Today, there is excitement and relief in the minds of the people of Delhi. Excitement for victory and relief is for making Delhi, AAP-da free…I bow my head and thank the people of Delhi for believing in Modi’s guarantee,” he added.

The Delhi assembly elections took place in a single phase on February 5. A total of 699 candidates contested for 70 assembly seats in the national capital.

Meanwhile, Congress, which held power in Delhi for 15 consecutive years (1998-2013) has failed to win any seats this time around too. They have not had an MLA since losing the elections in 2013.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

‘Delhi has been freed from AAPda’: PM Modi lauds Delhites for removing a “major obstacle” in the development of Delhi

ANI
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‘Delhi has been freed from AAPda’: PM Modi lauds Delhites for removing a “major obstacle” in the development of Delhi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday thanked the people of Delhi for their support to BJP in assembly polls and said they are feeling relief on making the national capital “AAP-da free”.

Addressing a gathering at the party headquarters after the party’s resounding victory in assembly polls, PM Modi said the BJP will return the love of the people of Delhi in the form of progress and development.

He took jibes at the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, referring to it as “AAPda (tragedy)”

“I thank the people of Delhi. Delhi has given us love wholeheartedly and I once again assure the people that we will return you double the love in the form of development,” he said.

“Today, there is excitement and relief in the minds of the people of Delhi. Excitement for victory and relief is for making Delhi, AAP-da free…I bow my head and thank the people of Delhi for believing in Modi’s guarantee,” he added.

BJP has won 47 seats and is leading on one seat in Delhi assembly polls. AAP has won 22 seats.

Several prominent leaders of AAP including former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia have lost polls.

PM Modi termed BJP’s victory as “historic”. “This is not an ordinary victory. The people of Delhi have driven out ‘AAP-da’. Delhi has been freed from the ‘AAP-da’. The mandate of Delhi is clear. Today, development, vision and trust have won in Delhi. Today, ostentation, anarchy, arrogance and the ‘AAP-da’ that had engulfed Delhi have been defeated. I congratulate every BJP worker and all of you for this victory,” he said.

On BJP’s victory, PM Narendra Modi said, “The politics of protests, confrontation and administrative uncertainty in Delhi have caused great harm to the people of Delhi. Today, all of you Delhiites have removed a major obstacle in the development of Delhi.”

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

From winning 96% of seats in 2015 to a humiliating loss in 2025: What went wrong for AAP and Arvind Kejriwal in 10 years?

Anurag
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From winning 96% of seats in 2015 to a humiliating loss in 2025: What went wrong for AAP and Arvind Kejriwal in 10 years?

On 8th February 2025, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) registered a landslide victory in Delhi, winning 48 out of 70 Assembly seats. In 2015, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) pulled off an unprecedented victory in the national capital, securing 67 out of 70 seats. At the time, Kejriwal, a relatively new leader, rode on an anti-corruption wave, promising clean governance, which helped the party woo Delhi voters. Since then, Kejriwal had seemed unstoppable, at least in Delhi.

Source: ECI

A decade later, AAP is staring at political extinction. The party is now struggling to stay relevant in the very city it once dominated. Since its inception, AAP has contested elections in several states, including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Punjab, but only managed to secure a victory in Punjab, aside from Delhi. Given AAP’s grim political future, it is essential to understand the reasons behind this dramatic decline in Delhi. The answer lies in a mix of misplaced priorities, corruption scandals, and a governance model that relied more on freebies and optics than actual work.

Freebies over real development – The crumbling model

AAP’s core electoral strategy from the beginning has been to promise freebies, free electricity, free water, free bus rides, and even cash handouts. Initially, this strategy helped them win voter support, but in the long run, a freebie-driven government is unsustainable unless it also delivers exceptional governance and development.

By 2025, the cracks in the freebie model were evident. Delhi’s infrastructure remained stagnant. The promised hospitals, colleges, schools, and clinics never materialised beyond mere words. Roads across Delhi remained in disrepair despite lofty claims of international standards. Government hospitals faced shortages, and promised schools were never built.

Once a surplus economy, Delhi is now struggling with rising debt, as Kejriwal’s government failed to generate the necessary revenue to run the state. Meanwhile, unprecedented amounts were spent on advertisements, leaving many Delhiites shocked at the misallocation of funds. In November last year, just ahead of Assembly Elections, Delhi Government sought a loan of Rs 10,000 crores from the Centre.

Yamuna remains filthy – The unfulfilled promise of a clean river

One of the biggest promises of AAP’s 2015 campaign was to clean the Yamuna river. Kejriwal’s government launched multiple campaigns, reportedly spent crores, and made grand declarations with repeated deadlines, but ultimately failed to deliver. Even by 2025, the river remains as polluted as ever.

The worst part? AAP keeps blaming the Centre and neighbouring states for the delay. With untreated sewage continuing to flow into the river, Kejriwal’s tall claims about a clean Yamuna have become an object of ridicule. This failure severely eroded trust, particularly among Delhi’s middle-class voters, who had initially supported AAP for its promise of ‘honest governance’. Voters saw through the excuses this time and decisively rejected the AAP-led government.

Sheeshmahal controversy – The leader who lost the ‘aam aadmi’ touch

At the start of his political career, Kejriwal projected the image of a simple, humble leader, wearing his signature muffler and travelling in a WagonR. He promised never to accept a government bungalow, security cover, or luxury cars.

However, that image crumbled over time. Kejriwal began travelling in luxury vehicles, often with a long convoy of cars. His WagonR vanished, his security detail increased every year, and when AAP came to power in Punjab, additional security was provided by the Punjab Police for reasons unknown, until the Election Commission revoked it.

Then came the infamous ‘Sheeshmahal’ controversy. Kejriwal’s government spent over ₹45 crore renovating his residence with luxury fittings, even as Delhi faced budget constraints. The renovation, funded with public money, took place during the COVID-19 pandemic, making it even more indefensible.

This extravagance was seen as hypocrisy of the highest order. A leader who once mocked ‘lal batti’ culture had now embraced the very opulence he once opposed. For many former supporters, this was the final betrayal, confirming that AAP had become just another party indulging in the excesses it once criticised.

Liquor scam – Corruption charges that AAP could not escape

The biggest blow to AAP’s credibility came from the Delhi Liquor Scam. The alleged irregularities in the liquor policy, which led to multiple arrests, including that of AAP’s top leaders, exposed the deep-rooted corruption within the party. Kejriwal’s attempts to deflect blame failed miserably, especially as senior leaders like Manish Sisodia faced legal action.

To make matters worse, the original complaint in the case was filed by Congress, AAP’s occasional alliance partner. This made it almost impossible for AAP to label it a BJP-led vendetta. Meanwhile, BJP capitalised on the scandal, repeatedly reminding voters of Kejriwal’s ‘moral high ground’ collapsing under corruption charges. As a result, even AAP’s core support base eroded, as evident in the Delhi Assembly Elections 2025 results.

The road ahead – Can AAP recover?

AAP’s decline from a dominant force to a party struggling for relevance is a cautionary tale. Over-reliance on freebies, lack of long-term development, corruption scandals, and an increasing disconnect with voters have all contributed to its downfall.

At this point, a recovery seems nearly impossible for Kejriwal, unless he finds a way to govern another state, and quickly. One possibility? Bhagwant Mann stepping down and offering Kejriwal the Chief Ministership of Punjab.

After all, as former AAP leader Kumar Vishwas once claimed, Kejriwal’s real dream was to become the PM of ‘Khalistan’, perhaps his ambitions still lie in that direction!

Meet Parvesh Verma, the BJP leader who unseated Arvind Kejriwal from his bastion in New Delhi

OpIndia Staff
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Meet Parvesh Verma, the BJP leader who unseated Arvind Kejriwal from his bastion in New Delhi

As the BJP is moving towards a historic win in the Delhi Assembly elections, Parvesh Verma who dethroned the AAP Supremo and three-time Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal from the New Delhi Assembly seat has grabbed the limelight.

The 47-year-old BJP politician, who defeated Arvind Kejriwal in his bastion by 4089 votes, is the son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sahib Singh Verma.

Incidentally, Verma defeated Kejriwal from the same seat where Kejriwal had defeated former Delhi CM Sheila Dixit in 2013 putting an end to her 15-year tenure. Verma is now being hailed by his supporters as the CM candidate.

Parvesh Verma’s political journey

Born in 1977, Verma did his schooling at Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram. After graduating from Kirori Mal College, he received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Fore School of Management.

During the 2013 Assembly elections, he was a member of the Delhi BJP Election Committee. In the same year, he won from Mehrauli Assembly seat by defeating incumbent MLA and Speaker of the Delhi Vidhan Sabha, Yoganand Shastri and AAP’s Narinder Singh Sejwal.

He emerged victorious in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections by winning from the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency by over 2 lakh votes. Verma secured a second term from the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency by defeating Congress’ Mahabal Mishra by a record margin of over 5 lakh votes.

He secured a historic win in the 2019 general elections by securing over 8 lakh votes, the highest recorded margin in the history of Delhi Lok Sabha elections. He has been associated with the BJP for almost three decades.

His Family Background

Parvesh Verma is the son of the former Chief Minister of Delhi Sahib Singh Verma and Sahib Kaur. He has four siblings; one brother and three sisters. His father also served as the Union Labour Minister during the 13th Lok Sabha.

His uncle Azad Singh served as the Mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation. Verma is married to Swati Singh, daughter of Vikram Verma, former Union Minister and BJP leader from Madhya Pradesh. They have three children – two daughters and a son.

Verma’s campaign against Kejriwal

By mid-January, Parvesh Verma’s campaign against Arvind Kejriwal was in full swing. He visited jhuggi jhopri clusters across his constituency to understand the requirements of people.

He listened to their problem relating to clean water and electricity. He claimed that the majority of people in these clusters did not have access to clean water and electricity.

“Many people in Jhuggi Jhopri clusters don’t have free water and electricity…I would say this openly. Whoever is getting clean water and zero electricity bills, please vote for Kejriwal, and whoever isn’t, please vote for BJP, ” Verma had said during his campaign.

Verma also cornered Kejriwal over his lavish CM residence which he termed as ‘Sheeshmahal’. He even kept a model of the Sheeshmahal outside his house for the people to see.

Besides, Verma promised many things during his election campaign including a riverfront at Yamuna similar to the Sabarmati riverfront in Gujarat, houses for slum dwellers, 50 thousand government jobs, flyovers, and making Delhi pollution-free.

He is expected to become the next Chief Minister of Delhi.

‘Not our responsibility’: Infighting among INDI alliance members intensifies as Congress slams AAP for Delhi rout

OpIndia Staff
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‘Not our responsibility’: Infighting among INDI alliance members intensifies as Congress slams AAP for Delhi rout

Hours after the Aam Aadmi Party suffered one of its biggest-ever setbacks since its inception as it lost the national capital to a resurgent BJP, the Congress party, one of the members of the “United opposition” front INDI Alliance, washed its hands of the AAP’s rout in the Delhi assembly elections.

It is not the Congress party’s duty to ensure AAP’s victory, party spokesperson Supriya Shrinate told NDTV on Saturday, as the Aam Aadmi Party suffered a significant defeat in the 2025 Assembly elections.

“The responsibility of securing AAP’s win does not lie with Congress. We will focus on strengthening our presence in politically promising regions, and Delhi is a state where we have governed for 15 years,” she stated.

Reiterating her stance, Shrinate emphasised, “Our priority is to run a strong campaign and contest elections with full determination, rather than working to make AAP win.”

She further pointed out, “Going by that logic, Arvind Kejriwal also contested elections in Goa, Haryana, Gujarat, and Uttarakhand. In Goa and Uttarakhand, the AAP’s vote share was exactly the margin by which Congress lost to the BJP, indicating that the outcome might have been different otherwise.”

Shrinate’s strident criticism of the Aam Aadmi Party after the Delhi election debacle comes in the wake of tensions between the two parties during the campaigning—when both Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal traded potshots at each other—highlighting the widening rift within the members of once touted as the alliance that would chip away at the BJP’s electoral dominance.

Earlier today, Omar Abdullah’s dig at the mounting tensions between Congress and AAP exemplified the challenges faced by the INDI alliance, where parties with disparate ideologies came together to cobble up a bloc with a singular aim to defeat Prime Minister Modi. The goal, however, didn’t materialise as PM Modi scraped by another general election victory, creating history by becoming Prime Minister for the third time in a row.

Christian evangelist on tourist visa found converting villagers in Assam, authorities deport him back to Canada

OpIndia Staff
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Christian evangelist on tourist visa found converting villagers in Assam, authorities deport him back to Canada

A Canadian citizen named Brandon Joel Devealt was deported to his country on Friday (6th February) for overstaying his visa and being involved in evangelical activities.

Devealt has been staying in Assam on a tourist visa and was detained in Jorhat on 5th February. His visa expired on January 17, 2025.

As per reports, after his detention, the Jorhat police carried out an investigation in coordination with the Foreigners’ Regional Registration Office (FRRO).

Jorhat SP Shwetank Mishra said that Devealt was involved in proselytising activities under the Grace Church in Jorhat. “On February 4, we received information that a Canadian national, Brandon Joel Devealt, who entered India on a tourist visa, was engaging in evangelical activities in Jorhat,” said Mishra.

“Upon inquiry, it was found that he was involved in proselytisation and was operating from Grace Church located on Jail Road in the Borbheta area of Jorhat town,” he added. The authorities came to know about his evangelical activities when he applied for renewal of his visa.

Brandon Joel Devealt was running a YouTube channel for conversion

SP Mishra informed that Devealt was also running a YouTube channel to attract locals to convert to Christianity.

“He was running a YouTube channel to attract locals to convert to his religion. Although the YouTube channel has been deactivated, we have found proof against him, and action was taken accordingly,” Mishra said.

The Indian tourist visa does not permit foreigners to engage in religious proselytisation or missionary work.

Visa violations by Devealt were immediately reported to FRRO Kolkata which issued a ‘Leave India’ notice to him. The Jorhat police escorted him to Delhi from where he was put on a flight to Toronto.

As per SP Mishra, the entire deportation process was carried out following proper protocol and in coordination with multiple law enforcement agencies.

Earlier in 2022, seven German nationals and three Swedish nationals were deported from Assam. In a similar fashion, they had entered India on tourist visas and were engaged in religious proselytisation.

AAP performs well in Muslim-dominated seats despite losing Delhi election, AIMIM proves to be ‘vote katwa’

OpIndia Staff
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AAP performs well in Muslim-dominated seats despite losing Delhi election, AIMIM proves to be ‘vote katwa’

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has lost the 2025 Delhi Vidhan Sabha election to its arch-rival BJP. Although its seat count has reduced from 62 in 2020 to just 22 now, AAP managed to win 4 out of the 5 Muslim-dominated seats.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led-party had fielded 5 Muslim candidates from the Vidhan Sabha constituencies of Matia Mahal, Ballimaran, Okhla, Seelampur and Mustafabad.

AAP fielded controversial leader Amanatullah Khan is set to win from the Okhla Vidhan Sabha constituency. He outperformed Congress’ Ariba Khan and BJP’s Manish Chaudhary. At one point, he was trailing behind AIMIM’s Shifa ur Rehman Khan.

However, Amanatullah Khan who had threatened Republic TV journalist in the run-up to the Delhi elections later went on to take a massive lead in the Muslim-majority Okhla seat.

In the Seelam Pur Vidhan Sabha constituency, AAP fielded Chaudhary Zubair Ahmad. BJP had named Anil Kumar Sharma (Gaur) as its candidate. Congress fielded Rehman Rehman, who came third in the race.

AAP leader Zubair emerged victorious from this Muslim-majority seat while the Hindu BJP candidate lost by more than 42,000 votes.

The same pattern of ‘voting along religious lines’ was evident in the Matia Mahal constituency where the Muslim AAP candidate Aaley Mohammed Iqbal won the seat by a margin of 42,724 votes. The runner-up was a Hindu BJP candidate Deepti Indora.

In the Muslim-dominated Balliraman Vidhan Sabha constituency, AAP fielded Imran Hussain while BJP gave a ticket to Kamal Bagri. Congress leader Haroon Yusuf also contested from the seat.

Imran Hussain won the seat by a margin of 29,823 votes. BJP’s Kamal Bagri was placed second while Congress’ Haroon Yusuf came third.

The exception turned out to be the Mustafabad constituency, where a split in the Muslim vote between the AAP and AIMIM led to the victory of the BJP candidate.

Mustafabad, which was the epicentre of the anti-Hindu Delhi riots in 2020, witnessed the participation of 3 key parties – AAP, BJP and AIMIM besides the Congress, BSP and other independent candidates

BJP leader Mohan Singh Bisht won the seat by a margin of 17578 votes. A total of 85,215 people voted in his favour. AAP’s Adeel Ahmed Khan received 67,637 votes while AIMIM’s Tahir Hussain got 33,474 votes.

This division in the Muslim vote was caused by ‘vote katwa’ AIMIM and it made it easier for the BJP to clench the seat. Tahir Hussain is an accused in the anti-Hindu Delhi riots of 2020.

Interestingly, AAP won these 5 constituencies of Matia Mahal, Ballimaran, Okhla, Seelampur and Mustafabad last time. It has managed to retain 4 of these seats despite losing the election altogether.

Muslims, reportedly, accounted for 13% of the 1.55 crore electorates in the Delhi Vidhan Sabha election.

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