It was the first election after the MCD was reunified earlier this year. In 2017, the BJP had won 181 of the then 270 wards with a 36% vote share, while AAP had won 48 with a 26% vote share, and the Congress finished third with only 30 with a 21% vote share.
It shows the AAP has not been able to earn the BJP's vote. BJP has even increased its vote share from the last 2017 MCD, which was 36% to 39% this time. Still, BJP fell much behind than AAP in retaining power because AAP has earned a significant chunk of the "Congress and Other Candidates" vote share that made AAP the MCD winner. Surprisingly, a fierce Campaign was run by both main parties, BJP and AAP. Still, AAP successfully managed to attract the vote share of Congress and Others, which made AAP sweep the MCD polls and turn out to be a blow to Congress and Independent Candidates.
Though AAP must be enjoying its much-needed booster victory in the capital today, this election has come with a lesson for AAP, which has been trying to play very smartly to get both Hindutva and Non- Hindutva votes. The results lie a lesson for AAP, where in comparison to the 2020 Delhi Assembly Elections, it has lost 13 to 14% of Muslim votes, which has gone to Congress and made many Congress Councillors win. The Delhi Muslim Community signaled Arvind Kejriwal not to take it for granted. Arvind Kejriwal's comments and targeting of the Tablighi Jamaat congregation during the Covid pandemic in 2020 have returned to haunt the party, and it looks like a B-Team of BJP to Muslims like AIMIM as fiercely perpetuated and campaigned by Congress.
