Delhi Chief Minister Atishi emerged victorious in a nail-biting contest for the Kalkaji assembly seat, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ramesh Bidhuri by a slender margin of 3,580 votes. The high-stakes battle, marked by fiery rhetoric and personal attacks, saw Atishi secure 52,058 votes against Bidhuri’s 48,478, while Congress candidate Alka Lamba trailed far behind with 3,377 votes 1113. The result solidified Atishi’s position as a key leader in the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), even as the BJP swept back to power in Delhi after 26 years, winning 48 of 70 seats.
The campaign in Kalkaji was fraught with controversy, with Bidhuri, a three-time MLA and former South Delhi MP, launching sharp jabs at Atishi. He mocked her surname, insinuating she had “changed her father,” and likened her campaign style to a “deer running in the forest” 24. Atishi, who dropped her surname “Marlena” in 2018 to avoid communal polarization, faced emotional moments during the campaign but countered with her welfare-focused agenda, emphasizing free bus rides and subsidized electricity.
Bidhuri, known for his divisive remarks and organizational prowess in South Delhi, initially led in early vote counts, raising hopes for a BJP breakthrough in a seat the party had not won since 1993 38. However, Atishi’s grassroots engagement and focus on local issues, despite criticism over infrastructure neglect, helped her claw back support in the constituency’s mixed neighborhoods—from upscale Maharani Bagh to the congested slums of Govindpuri.
The victory marks a personal triumph for Atishi, who ascended to the chief minister’s role after Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation and has since navigated AAP through turbulent times, including high-profile incarcerations of party leaders 615. Meanwhile, Bidhuri’s defeat underscores the BJP’s struggle to capitalize on anti-incumbency in Kalkaji, despite his claims that AAP’s “freebie politics” had been exposed.
As Delhi ushers in a new political era, Atishi’s resilience in Kalkaji highlights her rising influence, while Bidhuri’s aggressive campaign tactics leave questions about the BJP’s strategy in urban battlegrounds. The results, however, reaffirm Kalkaji’s reputation as a bellwether of Delhi’s complex socio-political dynamics.
