India
Veteran social activist Anna Hazare has weighed in on the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) poor performance in the 2025 Delhi assembly elections, attributing its losses to a tarnished image and controversies surrounding liquor and money.
Speaking on the election results, Hazare said, “I have been saying for a long time that while contesting elections, a leader must have character, good ideas, and an unblemished image. But AAP failed to maintain that. They got entangled in liquor and money issues—Arvind Kejriwal’s reputation was dented because of it, and that’s why they are getting fewer votes.”
Hazare, who played a key role in the India Against Corruption movement and was once a mentor to Kejriwal, has distanced himself from AAP since its formation in 2012. Emphasizing the need for integrity in politics, he added, “People saw that Kejriwal speaks of character but got involved in liquor. In politics, accusations happen, but one must prove innocence. The truth will remain the truth.”
With AAP struggling in the elections, its major leaders, including Arvind Kejriwal, Atishi, Saurabh Bharadwaj, and Somnath Bharti, are trailing in their respective constituencies. The party, which secured a massive mandate in 2015 and retained power in 2020, is now losing ground amid multiple controversies, including the alleged liquor policy scam.
Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva claimed that the election was a choice between “good governance and bad governance.” He said Delhi voters had rejected Kejriwal’s governance model, citing issues like water contamination, broken roads, poor sanitation, and pollution in the Yamuna. He credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governance model for BJP’s lead in the election.
As counting progresses, AAP faces its toughest electoral challenge yet, with the BJP crossing the majority mark in early trends.
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