New Delhi

Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V. K. Saxena has announced the dissolution of the seventh Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT Delhi), according to an official notification released on Sunday.

AAP leader Atishi on Sunday submitted her resignation from the Chief Minister's post following the party's defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections at the hands of the BJP.

She submitted her resignation to LG V.K. Saxena at the Delhi Secretariat.

Atishi, a key strategist for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), managed to retain her Kalkaji seat, defeating BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri by a margin of 3,521 votes.

However, her victory was one of the few bright spots for AAP in an otherwise disastrous election, where senior leaders including Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, and party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal suffered shocking defeats.

The BJP stormed to power in Delhi on Saturday, ending AAP's decade-long dominance in the capital. The landslide victory not only marks the end of the Kejriwal-led governance model but also signals a shift in public sentiment -- where freebies and sops no longer guarantee electoral success.

The notification, dated February 7, stated, "In exercise of the power conferred upon me by sub-section (2)(b) of section 6 of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, I, Vinai Kumar Saxena, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, hereby dissolve the Seventh Legislative Assembly of the National Capital Territory of Delhi with effect from 8th February, 2025."

This development follows the Delhi Assembly election results announced on Saturday, which saw the BJP make a historic comeback after 27 years, ousting the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) from power.

Earlier in the day, outgoing Chief Minister Atishi, who retained her Kalkaji seat by defeating BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri with a margin of 3,521 votes, submitted her resignation to the L-G at the Delhi Secretariat.

Despite her individual victory, AAP suffered a massive electoral debacle, with senior leaders including Manish Sisodia, and Satyendar Jain, as well as, party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal losing their seats.

The BJP's landslide victory marks the end of AAP's decade-long rule in Delhi and signals a shift in voter sentiment -- where governance and infrastructure priorities took precedence over welfare schemes.

AAP's campaign, which focused on alleged water contamination from Haryana and accusations of Centre-led interference, failed to gain traction among voters.

Additionally, the party faced backlash over its handling of the stubble-burning crisis in Punjab and its frequent confrontations with the L-G.

For the BJP, this decisive mandate ends a prolonged wait to reclaim Delhi, following heavy defeats in the 2015 and 2020 Assembly elections. Now, the party is set to implement its governance model in the national capital, marking a significant political shift.