As counting draws to a close on Tuesday, the results are clear: at 7.30 pm, the Aam Aadmi Party had swept the Delhi assembly elections, loo...
As counting draws to a close on Tuesday, the results are clear: at 7.30 pm, the Aam Aadmi Party had swept the Delhi assembly elections, looking likely to win a stunning 62 seats in a 70-strong assembly. This is one of the largest every victories of any party in any state assembly. Only three times before has a party won such a high a proportion of seats in a state assembly with more than 60 seats.
For the Bharatiya Janata Party, this is a worrying sign. The party put everything and the kitchen sink behind this election. Its campaign was loud and sharply communal, relying on national issues such as the new Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens. The party also made it a point to demonise the people protesting against these policies.
The bitter campaign included threats to shoot protestors, lies about AAP wanting to bring in Sharia or Islamic law and in several cases, using of the unusual dog whistle of “biryani”, a dish with origins in Muslim cuisine.
In contrast, much of the AAP’s campaign focussed on the minutiae of local development such as schools and cheap electricity. While AAP did vote against the Citizenship Amendment Act in Parliament, it did not make...
