Delhi Assembly Election Results: AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj loses Greater Kailash seat to BJP’s Shikha Roy

Delhi Election: AAP senior leader and incumbent Delhi health minister Saurabh Bharadwaj lost the Greater Kailash assembly seat to BJP’s candidate Shikha Roy, who emerged victorious with a margin of around 3,188 votes.

Notably, since AAP’s inception, the party has not lost from the Greater Kailash assembly seat. Roy secured 49,370 votes, while AAP’s Bharadwaj, seeking re-election, finished second with 46,231 votes. Congress candidate Sukhbir Singh Pawar came third with 6,677 votes.

The election campaign for the Greater Kailash constituency saw a fierce political war of words between Bharadwaj, Roy, and Pawar. As the incumbent MLA, Bharadwaj defended his track record, highlighting AAP’s achievements in improving healthcare, education, and public welfare schemes. Meanwhile, his challengers from BJP and Congress accused him of neglecting key civic issues, making the campaign an intense battle of accusations and counter-accusations.

During the campaign, Bharadwaj emphasised AAP’s work in providing free water, subsidised electricity, and improved government schools. He accused the BJP-led municipal bodies of failing to address issues like garbage disposal, waterlogging, and the stray animal menace.

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“The BJP candidate has served as a councillor from the GK-1 ward for two terms, and residents have witnessed her work over the past eight years, just as they have seen mine over the last 11 years as an MLA. I don’t wish to engage in political mudslinging, but I urge people to compare our work, our approach, and how we interact with residents and RWAs (Resident Welfare Associations). I can say with humility and confidence that in most places, 80%—and in some areas, even 90%—of the work is carried out by the MLA,” Bharadwaj had said during his door-to-door campaign.

Roy had countered Bharadwaj’s claims, accusing AAP of making hollow promises and failing to deliver real governance.

“Despite being in power for three terms, Bharadwaj has not solved water shortages or traffic congestion in Greater Kailash. He blames the MCD, but what has AAP done with its full control over Delhi’s budget?” she questioned.

Roy also criticized the rising electricity bills despite AAP’s promise of subsidised power, alleging that the government was misleading the public.

“AAP claims to give free electricity, but people in GK know the reality when they see their inflated bills,” she remarked.

BJP’s campaign largely focused on civic issues, highlighting water shortages, poor road conditions, and the stray animal menace as key failures of the ruling party. Pawar attempted to position himself as the alternative to both AAP and BJP, accusing both parties of ignoring Greater Kailash’s core infrastructure issues.

“AAP and BJP keep blaming each other, but the fact is that neither has delivered on real development,” he said in his speeches. Pawar claimed that the Congress era saw better civic management and promised to restore the area’s infrastructure. He particularly targeted AAP on the water crisis, stating, “Why are GK residents still struggling with outdated water pipelines when AAP had three terms to fix them?” He also criticized the BJP for “focusing on divisive politics instead of real governance.”

Key issues
Despite being considered a well-planned and developed locality, the area has unique civic issues, including an increasing menace of stray dogs and monkeys. Packs of stray dogs pose a safety concern, especially for parents of young children, while frequent monkey raids damage property and create havoc in both residential and commercial areas.

“We worry about letting our children play outside because of the stray dogs,” said a resident, reflecting the widespread concern that authorities have struggled to manage.

Despite its elite status, Greater Kailash grapples with infrastructure issues that remain at the center of public discussions. Residents frequently express concerns over high electricity tariffs.

According to Sant Ram, a resident of GK-1, while electricity supply is not an issue, the inflated tariffs are a major problem. “They collect high bills from us and use the money to supply electricity at lower costs in other areas. This is unfair to the residents here,” he claimed.

Another pressing issue is the outdated water and sewage infrastructure in the locality. Ram highlighted that the pipelines in GK-I are over 70 years old, leading to frequent water supply disruptions in several areas. “The system is so poor that many areas go without water for days,” he explained.

Similarly, the ageing sewage pipelines contribute to severe drainage issues, particularly during the monsoon season. “They are outdated and urgently need replacement,” he added, stressing that inadequate infrastructure has become a long-standing problem for the constituency.

Demographics

Greater Kailash is one of Delhi’s 70 assembly constituencies, forming part of the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. Greater Kailash assembly constituency has a total electorate of 1,87,873, including 98,891 male voters, 88,973 female voters, and nine third-gender voters.

Established in 2008 through the Delimitation Commission’s reorganization, it encompasses prominent residential and commercial areas in South Delhi, including neighbourhoods such as Greater Kailash 1, Greater Kailash 2, East of Kailash, and parts of Kalkaji. The constituency is known for its cosmopolitan character, housing a mix of affluent and middle-class residents. It is home to traders, professionals, and salaried individuals. The influence of various communities, including Muslim and Jat voters, can be decisive in certain areas, making them crucial to election outcomes.

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Previous Election Results

In the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections, Bharadwaj secured victory with 60,372 votes, defeating Roy, who garnered 43,563 votes. In the 2015 elections, Bharadwaj won the seat with 57,589 votes, while BJP’s Rakesh Kumar Gullaiya received 43,006 votes.