NewDelhi: While Delhi is awaiting the results of its 2025 assembly election on February 8 — a day that also happens to be Propose Day during Valentine’s Week — it also rings a bell with AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and his special relationship with this period of love. Nonetheless, this is an election year, and it brings many challenges to Kejriwal and his party.
A Challenging Election
Delhi Assembly elections are proving to be Kejriwal’s biggest challenge, as 12 of the 14 exit polls predict defeat for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)1 in the 2025 elections. This could be a turning point regarding the party’s electoral success in the capital.
Valentine’s Week Chronicles
Valentine’s Week has always been a crucial time for the leader of AAP.
He served as Chief Minister from December 2013 till February 14, 2014, when he resigned after 49 days.
He had opted to be sworn in as the chief minister on Valentine’s Day after the AAP’s landslide victory in 2015 when it won 67 of the 70 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections.
AAP’s triumph in the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections was during Valentine’s Week, but Kejriwal took oath on February 16 that year.
The Path from Activism to Politics
Kejriwal burst onto the political stage in the anti-corruption movement around 2011 when he was a key member of the Anna Hazare-led campaign for the Jan Lokpal Bill. After this, he started the Aam Aadmi Party with close associates.
2025 Polls: The Seismic Litmus Test
The results are coming closer in Delhi, and with that, AAP’s most prominent electoral test. Exit polls released recently indicate a decent performance by the BJP, with some projecting a BJP win 13. Now , we have to wait until February 08, 2025, to see if Valentine’s Week has ever been a lucky week for Kejriwal.
AAP’s Political Footprint
AAP had come into being in Delhi but soon spread its wings into other states . The party now has representation across:
10 Rajya Sabha seats
3 Lok Sabha seats
Various state assemblies such as Delhi, Gujarat, Punjab, Goa, and Jammu & Kashmir
With only days to go for the counting, will Kejriwal continue to work his magic on Valentine’s Week, or is Delhi’s cavalcade likely to steer differently on a fundamental path?