New Delhi: Why AAP lost, how much Congress polled, what the polling demographics are, and where anti-saffron votes went?; There are the questions many wonder about after the spectacular victory of the BJP in the national capital after 26 years as the result of the Delhi Assembly election was declared on Saturday.

Given Congress’ votes share, which is more than AAP’s losing margin in many constituencies, many including some of the opposition leaders are in a dilemma that if the INDIA bloc had joined hand and contested the election together, the result would have been in its favor, serving the founding values of the bloc.

Read Also: What Played Right For BJP In Delhi

Despite being a member of the bloc, AAP chose to contest the election alone, diminishing the bloc’s purpose of defeating the BJP. During the 2024 Lok Sabha election, the bloc had managed to significantly reduce the BJP’s tally, making it dependent on its allies to form the government at the Centre.

However, the loggerhead among some bloc members in the state and the difference towards certain leaders eclipsed the bloc’s fire to go wild and challenge the BJP dominance in the country. With the AAP’s defeat in Delhi, the Indian bloc government has been reduced to eight in the country: Karnataka, Jammu and Kashmir, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, and West Bengal.

Read Also: What Happened To The Muslim Votes In Delhi?

In Delhi, after the AAP refused to go into an alliance with Congress, the latter unleashed a staunch attack and criticism through rigorous campaigns against the former. The Congress leaders also reinforced BJP allegations by calling the AAP chief the ‘architect of the liquor scam” and echoed the ‘sheesh mahal’ jibe.

Notably, other Indian bloc members, especially the TMC and SP, had backed the AAP in the assembly election, defying the bloc’s apparent Congress leadership. It is believed that the bloc members might have thought that the AAP would be the best viable party to take on the saffron party in the national capital.

With the result out, the INDIA bloc members lament that the Congress should have unitedly contested the election with AAP, pointing out the possibility of the opposition bloc’s triumph given the result margin.

Read Also: Congress Polled More Than AAP’s Losing Margin In All These Seats 

Reacting to the result, Congress general secretary in charge of communication Jairam Ramesh called it a “referendum on Arvind Kejriwal” and the AAP. The Congress leader said the result was a mandate that rejected Kejriwal’s politics of deceit, fraud, and exaggerated claims of achievements. “The Congress party played a major role in exposing various scams that took place during the Kejriwal regime. Delhi voters gave their verdict on the 12 years of misrule of the AAP,” he said, adding that the Congress, though expected to perform better, increased its vote share, and the party’s strength and presence were revived.

Unlike the past, the Muslim voters in Delhi also shifted their support to All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and to the Congress. In 2020 and 2015, the AAP enjoyed a significant share of the community’s vote, while in 2025 they saw their votes splitting.

However, the INDIA bloc’s future hangs in the balance, especially after the Delhi Assembly Elections. It is to see how feasible it would be to bring together the bloc members for the upcoming West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh elections. If it could form the alliance successfully, it would be a test on the Bloc’s future and survival.