In the last two Delhi Assembly elections, Dalit voters supported the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), resulting in the party winning a consecutive 12 reserved seats. Analysing the polls from 1993 to 2020, it becomes clear that Dalit voters have deeply impacted the power equations.
Out of the total 70 assembly seats in Delhi for the 2025 elections, 12 seats are reserved for Scheduled Castes (SCs), who play a decisive role in the Delhi Legislative Assembly.
In 1993, when the BJP came to power in Delhi, 13 seats were reserved for Dalits, out of which the BJP won 8 seats. In 1998, Congress returned to power in Delhi and maintained its hold on Dalit seats until 2013. In 1998, Congress won 10 seats, 12 in 2003 and 10 in 2008. From 1998 to 2008, Delhi’s Dalit vote bank was firmly with Congress.
However, in 2013, AAP contested elections for the first time and won 9 reserved seats. In 2015 and 2020, AAP won all 12 reserved seats.
Looking at the Dalit vote bank equations in Delhi, it is clear that the party that secures Dalit votes remains in power. A large section of Dalit voters has shifted from Congress to AAP, which has led to a significant change in Delhi’s political landscape.
