Bharatiya Janata Party supporters celebrate after the party secured a majority in the Delhi Assembly elections amid the counting of votes, in Amritsar, Punjab, Saturday, Feb. 8,
Credit: PTI Photo
The BJP roared back to power in Delhi after a gap of 27 years, crushing the AAP's hopes of a hattrick in the national capital. The biggest individual upsets for AAP were the defeats suffered by their top leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Saurabh Bharadwaj in their respective constituencies.
While AAP did commendable work when it comes to education, there are a number of issues still plaguing Delhi. These will prove to be the major challenges for the new government. Let us take a look at five such issues right here:
Cleaning Yamuna
The contaminated water of the Yamuna river has long been an issue that multiple governments in Delhi have been unable to solve. Even Kejriwal admitted in some interviews ahead of the polls that this was one promise in which his party failed to deliver despite their consecutive victories in the last two Delhi Assembly polls.
Maintaining welfare schemes
Kejriwal came to power in the last two assembly elections largely due to the welfare schemes he had announced. Among those were free water, electricity, and education in government schools. The BJP itself announced several such schemes in their Sankalp Patras (manifestos) released for the Delhi polls, and will now have to fulfil these promises while keeping Delhi's fiscal balance in check.
Garbage, air quality issues
Garbage and air quality are two issues that have become major challenges to the people of Delhi. Stubble burning in the north Indian sates of Haryana and Punjab is one of the factors contributing to the air pollution in the national capital. The AAP government had banned firecrackers in Delhi to keep a check on air pollution during Diwali. It remains to be seen if the BJP will take such measures for the sake of Delhi's air without perturbing its vote bank.
Moreover, Delhi has to be made cleaner. Pictures of huge piles of garbage littering multiple parts of the national capital, posing challenges to public health, were shared by former Delhi Commission of Women (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal during the run-up to the elections.
Waterlogging; infrastructure
The deaths of three IAS aspirants after a basement of a coaching centre they were studying in got flooded sent shockwaves across the country. Delhi's poor infrastructure, which leads to waterlogging in multiple parts of the city, is something the AAP government failed to tackle. Now all eyes will be on the new government, which using its 'double engine', should do something to improve Delhi's infrastructure and prevent such situations in future.
Drinking water, slum dwellers' issues
The deteriorating living conditions of Delhi's slum dwellers is something the new government will have to looked into. Kejriwal had earlier promised that he wouldn't even contest the polls if the BJP promised to provide houses for all slum dwellers in Delhi.
Clean drinking water is also an issue that has been plaguing several parts of the city, something the new government will have to look into on priority.
Delhi assembly elections 2025 results | Get all latest updates here
Delhi assembly elections 2025 results | Get constituency-wise details here
Delhi Assembly Election 2025 | The Delhi Assembly Elections saw a fierce contest between AAP and BJP, while Congress despite its best attempts failed to make a mark. The saffron party is all set to make a comeback in the national capital after almost three decades as AAP chief Kejriwal has accepted the people's verdict and looks to be part of a constructive opposition. Reactions from all quarters are pouring in as BJP celebrates its first electoral win in 2025, with Bihar polls slated to take place later this year. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.
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