Early exit vindication: Former AAP comrades attribute Delhi defeat to departure from foundational values | Delhi News
The Aam Aadmi Party‘s former members—including founding members who gradually left the party in the years following its formation—are now reacting to its historic defeat, blaming the shift in the party’s original values for the downfall.
What’s common in their criticism is the party’s shift from the original promise of alternative politics letting down those who supported the 2011 anti-corruption movement against the then Congress-led government.
Delhi Election Results 2025
Anna Hazare, regarded as the father of the anti-graft movement and the leader in whose shadow Kejriwal emerged, distanced himself from the Aam Aadmi Party as soon as it was established, citing differences in values.
Hazare, while speaking to reporters in his village of Ralegan Siddhi, said that the liquor policy and the resulting influx of money had overwhelmed the party.
“People saw him (Arvind Kejriwal) talking about a clean character and then about liquor,” he told reporters in Ralegan Siddhi.
Hazare further said that AAP had failed to understand the need for selfless service and had taken the wrong path. “Money took centre stage, denting AAP’s image and leading to its defeat,” he added.
“I have been saying this since the beginning: when one contests elections, the candidate’s character should be clean and spotless. The candidate should understand the virtues of sacrifice and have the capacity to tolerate insults,” he said, adding that when allegations arise, it is necessary to assure the people that these charges are unfounded.
Yogendra Yadav, co-founder of the Swaraj India party and former AAP member—who was expelled in 2015 along with Prashant Bhushan—described the party’s loss as a major setback for everyone who once believed in alternative politics. He further said that AAP abandoned its core ideology soon after coming to power and instead focused solely on welfare schemes, which eventually reached a saturation point with the voters.
PTI file photo
Poet-politician Kumar Vishwas, who was actively involved in the India Against Corruption movement and one of AAP’s founding members, accused Kejriwal of “destroying” the aspirations of thousands who longed for a corruption-free country.
“It is sad because 13 years ago, a wave of political renaissance swept across India, planting the seeds of alternative politics.” In a strong rebuke, he described Kejriwal as “a shameless, narcissistic, insecure person” who played the part of Duryodhan, leading to the downfall.
“This is their first defeat. For the crime of murdering the dreams of crores of innocent people, they will be punished,” he warned while urging AAP workers to consider their future as there appears to be little chance of the party recovering.
Former Delhi Commission for Women chief and Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, who left AAP last year after an incident at Kejriwal’s residence, remarked that the party was punished by the people for its arrogance.
“Nobody’s arrogance lasts forever. What happened in Delhi today is proof,” Maliwal told PTI.
She further said that Delhi had turned into a “garbage bin” with issues such as water scarcity, a polluted Yamuna, and high levels of air pollution, which had led to widespread public anger.
“Over the last 10 years, they showed people dreams but could not fulfill them. They got me beaten up and slandered; today people taught him a lesson, and he could not save his own seat,” she added.
Shazia Ilmi, another founding member who left AAP in 2014 for the BJP, recalled that those who had gathered at the Ramlila ground for the anti-corruption movement had envisioned a new form of politics.
“I am absolutely delighted and also emotional. All of us who gathered at the Ramlila ground wanted a new kind of politics. But what did Delhi get? It got a charlatan who brought the city down,” she said.
Criticising Kejriwal further, she said, “This is a man who caused a loss of Rs 260 crore to the exchequer, lived in ‘Sheesh Mahal’, and turned AAP into a disaster. Finally, Delhi will see some peace, work, and development.”
The 2025 Delhi assembly elections saw a significant shift in voter preferences, leading to a historic victory for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and ending their 27-year exile from power. The BJP improved its vote share by 7.3 percentage points to secure 45.8 percent of votes, while the AAP saw its share dip by nearly 10 percentage points to 43.8 percent.
