New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) returned to power in Delhi after a gap of 27 years, winning 48 of the 70 seats in state assembly polls. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was in power in the capital for 10 years under Arvind Kejriwal and was limited to only 22 seats. The BJP remains on a winning streak, but the onions, which were a decisive poll issue once, are nowhere to be seen, interestingly.
The spike in onion prices had turned political during the BJP’s previous stint in Delhi in 1998. Meanwhile, retail onion prices had already reached ₹60 per kg then, triggering large-scale consumer ire and contributing to the party’s being voted out in elections held a few weeks later. Cut to 2025, and onions have become less controversial, with wholesale prices at ₹27 per kg and retail prices at ₹35.
The Onion Politics
The BJP last held power in Delhi in 1993, winning 49 seats and making Madan Lal Khurana Chief Minister. But Khurana stepped down as CM in 1995 following his role in the Hawala case, and the post went to Sahib Singh Verma then. Onion prices started soaring in late October 1997, peaking at the unprecedented level of ₹60 per kilogram by Diwali 1998.
With Congress at the head, the opposition cashed in on this discontent, making goose-fleshing onions the ultimate election product. Although the then-CM, Sushma Swaraj, tried to rein in prices, the BJP faced humiliation in the 1998 elections. The Congress, led by Sheila Dikshit, finished with 52 seats and went on to rule the politics of Delhi for nearly two decades.
The Eyes of Onions and the Pile of Elections
In the past, the onion has been a vital poll issue in India. A prominent example is when Indira Gandhi donned an onion garland during her campaign in 1980 based on rising prices under the Janata Party regime. Likewise, in 1998, onion scarcities in Maharashtra and Rajasthan emerged as central matters of logjam, with the competition leaders additionally utilising the vegetable to take the story out of the pages of newspapers and onto the streets of Maharashtra to expose ruling events.
The Resurgence of BJP and What Lies Ahead
The BJP’s resumption of power in Delhi represents a dramatic change in the spectrum of political parties in the capital. The party has managed to stay out of the mess by both sustained onion prices and an emphasis on governing. The BJP’s new approach to its campaign and its ability to find resonance with voters in Delhi based on issues beyond price fluctuations are believed to have been vindicated by the win.
With the BJP set to form the government, the focus shifts to its plans for Delhi. The party has pledged to improve infrastructure, healthcare, and education without compromising economic stability. For now, the humble onion remains a metaphor for the BJP’s past failures and its fightback.