NEW DELHI: On Saturday morning, ahead of the counting, a large crowd of enthusiastic AAP volunteers gathered at 1, Canning Lane, the party office. The place was adorned in yellow and blue. A stage was set outside, chairs and mics were in place, and a large screen displayed TV news.
As the numbers trickled in and the crushing defeat unfolded, their optimism soon gave way to disappointment.
Delhi Election Results 2025
By 12 noon, a sombre atmosphere enveloped the headquarters. The crowd gradually dispersed as reports emerged that many AAP seniors, including ministers, had lost.
There were some who remained hopeful of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal’s victory even then. “It is important for Kejriwal to win, even if we are sitting in opposition, because that will keep things fine for the party,” said a worker glued to the screen and scanning the results.
As the crowd thinned, a large number of drinking water bottles – placed near the stage for the scores of workers and visitors who were expected to visit had the party won – stayed packed. Very few people were present inside the complex too, partly due to some restrictions on entry.
In the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party had witnessed an electrifying and joyous atmosphere following its thumping victories. This time, there was an eerie silence. Unlike previous elections, when party officials would arrive at the headquarters in succession, the top leadership was conspicuous by its absence on Saturday. Later in the day, around 2pm, the chairs placed on the stage were also removed.
AAP had also kept several boxes of laddoos, which were supposed to be distributed among all those visiting the party office in the event of a victory. While a few were given to some people who were present for lunch, others were packed in a vehicle and sent away.
As AAP’s tally further reduced, some workers started giving interviews to media outlets and raised concerns about voter lists, blaming “mischief” by the Election Commission.
Just a few metres from the AAP headquarters, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann paid Kejriwal a visit. Other than that, there was barely any sign of activity at the AAP chief’s residence too.