BJP's Historic Delhi Assembly Win: A Turning Point in Caste Politics?

The BJP's victory in the 2025 Delhi Assembly Election has been a long time coming—nearly three decades—but its scale and impact have redefined the party’s acceptability across various caste and religious groups. Given Delhi's representation as a miniature of India, the results offer hope for the BJP’s prospects in other states as well.

The Congress has repeatedly questioned the BJP’s acceptance among Scheduled Castes and Other Backward Castes, emphasizing the need for a caste census. However, the BJP has made significant strides in winning OBC support, particularly in Maharashtra and other states. The Delhi election results further reinforce this shift, with 16 out of the BJP’s 22 OBC candidates emerging victorious. The party also secured all seven seats where OBC voters comprise more than 10% of the electorate.

The BJP’s appeal extended beyond OBCs, as evidenced by the success of its Haryanvi and Purvanchali candidates. Of 14 Haryanvi candidates, 12 won, and of six Purvanchali candidates, four secured victories. Additionally, the BJP won 12 out of 13 seats with over 5% Haryanvi voters and 25 out of 35 seats with a significant Purvanchali presence. Prime Minister Narendra Modi acknowledged this strong support, thanking Purvanchali voters “as an MP from Purvanchal.”

The party also performed well in constituencies with sizable Sikh and Punjabi populations. It won three out of four seats with over 10% Sikh voters and 23 out of 28 seats with a notable Punjabi presence. However, BJP’s performance in constituencies with Valmiki and Jatav voters left room for improvement. It won four out of nine seats with over 10% Valmiki voters and six out of 12 seats with a similar Jatav demographic. Among 12 Scheduled Caste BJP candidates, only four emerged victorious.

The BJP made significant inroads in border constituencies near Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, winning 15 of the 22 seats in these areas. This included seven of 13 seats bordering UP and nine of 11 bordering Haryana.

Despite the caste-based analysis of election results, the Delhi campaign was largely free of caste rhetoric. The capital, a melting pot of people from different states and economic backgrounds, tends to prioritize governance over identity politics.

BJP’s sweeping win signals broad acceptance and reflects Delhi’s demand for better governance over the AAP’s leadership. Prime Minister Modi, in his victory speech, described the triumph as a result of “development, vision, and trust” and assured Delhi’s people that their support would be repaid with progress under the “double-engine government.”