Denied a Lok Sabha ticket in 2024 after two successive terms, BJP leader Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma emerged as the ‘giant slayer’ after defeating Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal from the prestigious New Delhi Assembly constituency.
In a fierce triangular contest in the New Delhi seat, Verma secured 30,088 votes, while Kejriwal trailed behind with 25,999 votes. Congress’ Sandeep Dikshit finished third with 4,568 votes. His victory over Kejriwal not only boosts his stature as one of the BJP’s most prominent Jat leaders in the Capital but also strengthens his position as a potential contender for the chief minister’s post.
Kejriwal has held the New Delhi seat since 2013, when he beat Congress stalwart and then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to herald what would be the AAP’s decade-long rule of Delhi. Besides, BJP’s Tarvinder Singh Marwah also emerged as another giant slayer who defeating former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia in the Jangpura constituency.
Parvesh, former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma’s son, thanked the people and called the result “the victory of the people of the national Capital”. “This is not just my victory, this is the victory of the people of Delhi who chose truth over lies, governance over gimmicks and development over deception. I humbly thank every voter who trusted me,” he said.
Parvesh further said under the strong leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP national president JP Nadda, they would work tirelessly to bring a “real change” in Delhi.
After AAP’s defeat, Kejriwal congratulated his workers for “fighting very well” and said the party will play the role of a constructive opposition. In a video message, the former Delhi Chief Minister said, “We accept people’s mandate with humility and I congratulate the BJP for its victory and also hope that it will fulfill the expectations of the people of Delhi. We will not only play the role of constructive opposition,” he said, “but also continue to be engaged in social work. We did not enter politics for a position of power but we see politics as a way to work for the public and stand with the people.”
Parvesh had won the Lok Sabha elections twice - in 2014 and 2019 - but his inflammatory remarks during the citizenship law protests in 2020 shot him back into the limelight, giving his political career a turning point. Parvesh had launched his campaign against Kejriwal even before BJP officially declared his candidature, positioning himself as the chief challenger to the former three-time Delhi chief minister.
During the 2020 election campaign in Delhi, he infamously claimed that he would clear Shaheen Bagh - which had emerged as an iconic protest site until the pandemic struck - within an hour if the BJP came to power.
Accusing the protesters - mostly Muslims - of being a threat to Hindu families, he had said, “They will enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters”. In 2022, he sparked another controversy by calling for a “total boycott” of the Muslim community. Speaking in North-East Delhi, he was heard telling his supporters how to “set them straight” and making them repeat a pledge after him.
Currently, a BJP national executive member, Verma has also been involved in social work through Rashtriya Swabhiman, a non-profit organisation founded by his father, former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma.
In another major upset, BJP’s Marwah defeated Sisodia in the Jangpura constituency by a narrow margin of 675 votes. Marwah polled 38,859 votes, while Sisodia secured 38,184. Congress candidate Farhad Suri garnered 7,350 votes.
Sisodia, a key AAP strategist and the face of the party’s education reforms had returned to electoral politics after spending 17 months in jail following his arrest in 2023 in the Delhi excise policy case. Released on bail in August 2024, he led a spirited campaign centred around education and governance.
However, Sisodia’s move from Patparganj to Jangpura raised speculations, with opponents accusing him of seeking a safer seat. He won the 2020 election from Patparganj with a narrow margin of 3,207 votes.
Despite his efforts, the loss marks a significant setback for AAP, which had projected him as a pillar of its governance model. Before the elections, Kejriwal had promised that Sisodia would be reinstated as deputy chief minister if AAP retained power.
Conceding defeat, Sisodia said, “Our party workers fought well, and we worked hard. People supported us but I lost by 600 votes. I congratulate the winning candidate and hope he will serve the constituency well.”
Born in 1959 in New Delhi, Marwah was a three-time Congress MLA from Jangpura (1998-2013) before switching to the BJP in 2022. A known Sikh leader, he heads the BJP’s Delhi Sikh Cell. His political career has been marked by controversies, including claims that the Congress sidelined him before his defection.
Marwah, a businessman who also earns from rental properties, gained attention for his critical remarks against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his allegations that Congress leadership ignored his concerns.