Swati Maliwal: Unexpected force behind AAP’s Delhi poll debacle

Though she wasn’t a candidate in the Delhi elections, she emerged as a central figure in the party’s downfall.

As the BJP secured a landslide victory, ending AAP’s dominance in the capital, Maliwal’s post including an image of Draupadi’s ‘cheerharan’ set social media abuzz.

Memes, suggesting Maliwal had won the political battle with AAP, flooded social media.

The seeds of this political storm were sown in May 2024, when Maliwal made explosive allegations against AAP.

She accused Bibhav Kumar, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s personal assistant, of physically assaulting her during a visit to the CM’s residence.

She claimed he slapped, punched, and dragged her across the room, while her pleas for help went unanswered.

Initially, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh condemned the attack and assured action, but within days, party leader Atishi dismissed Maliwal’s claims in a press conference.

Isolated within AAP, Maliwal refused to back down, seeking justice—and, some speculated, revenge.

As the Delhi elections approached, Maliwal became increasingly vocal about the city's governance failures.

Though she was not a candidate, she roamed the streets, highlighting civic issues—from overflowing garbage and water-logged roads to deteriorating hygiene.

Visiting areas like Vikaspuri and Burari, she pointed out AAP’s shortcomings, with social media amplifying her message.

On February 3, she escalated her battle against Kejriwal with a dramatic protest.

Accompanied by a group of Purvanchal women, she arrived at the CM’s residence carrying water from the polluted Yamuna, accusing Kejriwal of living in luxury while the river remained in decay.

"Arvind Kejriwal has turned the Yamuna into a drain. Black, dirty, rotten water is flowing in Yamuna. The river is on a ventilator, while Arvind Kejriwal is in his palace, roaming around in luxurious cars. Thousands of women from Purvanchal have come here to challenge him—he should not be so scared of women. He should come out, take a dip in the dirty water of Yamuna, and take a sip of that water," Maliwal said, reported ANI.

She also staged another protest, cleaning garbage near the CM’s residence.

As AAP suffered a crushing defeat in Delhi, social media erupted with memes, many positioning Maliwal as a key factor in the party’s downfall.

From "ek-ek cup chai" to "who is the queen," the internet wasted no time in seizing the meme-worthy moment.

Maliwal has not just targeted AAP in Delhi. After the party’s poor performance in the Haryana Assembly elections, she criticised its approach, posting on X, "He came to Haryana only to take revenge on Congress. He falsely accused me of being a BJP agent, and today he himself is betraying the India Alliance and cutting off the votes of INC!"

The former chief of the Delhi Commission for Women has long been a vocal critic of AAP’s internal workings.

She previously wrote to then-CM Kejriwal, accusing his ministers of weakening the women’s panel.

Yet, despite her vocal opposition, Maliwal remains an AAP Rajya Sabha MP.

When asked on India Today TV why she continued to hold her position despite her disillusionment with the party, she responded, "Why should I walk away from my party? I have given my blood and sweat to the party for 18 years. I will question whatever is wrong."

As AAP faces a moment of reckoning, the party may need reinvention—and Maliwal could play a significant role in shaping its future.

Whether she remains within AAP or charts a different political course, her influence is on the rise.