Turncoats Who Won BIG In Delhi: A Look At Defectors Who Tasted Success

Party hopping turned out to be a winning gamble for several leaders in the Delhi Assembly elections, as many who switched loyalties before the polls ended up securing victories for their new political homes. The BJP, which swept the elections with 48 out of 70 seats, emerged as the biggest beneficiary of defections. 

Former AAP minister Kailash Gahlot was one of the most high-profile turncoats to win. Once a key figure in Arvind Kejriwal’s government, Gahlot severed ties with AAP months before the elections and jumped ship to the BJP. His gamble paid off, as he clinched the Bijwasan seat, defeating AAP’s Surender Bharadwaj by 11,276 votes. 

For some former Congress leaders, the BJP proved to be the winning ticket. Arvinder Singh Lovely, a former Delhi Congress chief and minister in the Sheila Dikshit government, won the Gandhi Nagar seat for the BJP, defeating his AAP rival by 12,748 votes. 

Another ex-Congress heavyweight, Raj Kumar Chauhan, who also served in the Dikshit cabinet, secured victory in Mangolpuri, edging out AAP’s Rakesh Jatav by 6,255 votes. 

Meanwhile, former Congress leader Neeraj Basoya also reaped the rewards of his defection. Contesting from Kasturba Nagar on a BJP ticket, he triumphed with a margin of 11,048 votes. 

The BJP wasn’t just attracting Congress deserters—AAP turncoats also made their mark. Kartar Singh Tanwar, who quit AAP to join the saffron camp, secured a win from Chhatarpur, defeating AAP’s Brahm Singh Tanwar by 6,239 votes. 

While many defectors found a new home in the BJP, AAP also benefited from a few Congress imports. Veer Singh Dhingan and Chaudhary Zubair Ahmad, both former Congress leaders, won big for AAP. 

Dhingan clinched victory in Seemapuri by 10,368 votes. 

Ahmad registered one of the most decisive wins, securing Seelampur by a whopping 42,477 votes. 

Not all turncoats backed the BJP. Some ex-BJP leaders found a new home in AAP and emerged victorious. Anil Jha and Pravesh Ratn, who quit the BJP before the elections, made their mark under AAP’s banner. 

Jha won the Kirari seat with a comfortable margin of 21,871 votes. 

Ratn defeated BJP’s Raaj Kumar Anand in Patel Nagar (SC) by 4,049 votes. 

Defectors played a crucial role in reshaping the electoral landscape, with many finding success under new banners. Whether it was AAP leaders turning to BJP, Congress veterans finding a fresh start, or BJP rebels making a mark in AAP, party-switching proved to be a game-changer in these elections.