Swati Maliwal tears into Atishi’s victory dance amid AAP's poll debacle: 'What shamelessness!'

Maliwal, once a close associate of Kejriwal, has recently emerged as a strong critic of AAP’s leadership.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha MP and former Delhi Commission for Women chairperson Swati Maliwal on Saturday lashed out at outgoing Delhi Chief Minister Atishi for celebrating her victory in the Kalkaji Assembly seat despite the party’s poor performance in the elections.

Maliwal, sharing a video of Atishi’s roadshow on social media platform X, questioned the celebration, stating, "What kind of shamelessness is this? The party lost, all the big leaders lost, and Atishi Marlena is celebrating like this?"

? , Atishi Marlena ?? pic.twitter.com/zbRvooE6FY
Swati Maliwal (@SwatiJaiHind) February 8, 2025

In the video, Atishi, who secured the Kalkaji seat by defeating BJP’s Ramesh Bidhuri with a margin of 3,521 votes, was seen dancing with her supporters. She is one of the few AAP leaders who managed to win, while several senior party figures - including AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, and Saurabh Bharadwaj - lost their seats.

Maliwal, once a close associate of Kejriwal, has recently emerged as a strong critic of AAP’s leadership. Expressing her discontent over the party’s governance, she accused Kejriwal of arrogance and mismanagement. In an interaction with News18 following the results, she remarked, "One man’s extreme arrogance, his sudden change with power and money from a common man to a man who wants to control everything, has led to this downfall."

Referring to an alleged assault by Kejriwal’s security personnel, Maliwal further claimed, "I have been beaten up black and blue by Kejriwal’s men, and no one came to help me. His arrogance has shown him the way out."

She also launched a sharp criticism of the AAP government’s handling of civic issues in the national capital, stating, "Delhi is in shambles, the water reaching households is dirty, and garbage is everywhere. The Aam Aadmi Party just keeps doing drama instead of delivering results."

The BJP secured a decisive victory, winning 48 out of 70 seats, while AAP managed to secure only 22. The Congress failed to win any seats. This marks the BJP’s return to power in Delhi after 27 years, delivering a significant setback to Kejriwal’s leadership.

Following the election results, Atishi submitted her resignation as Chief Minister to Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena Sunday morning. The BJP is expected to stake claim to form the government once Prime Minister Narendra Modi returns from his visit to the US.